Heroes and Hitmen
by NorCrisp76
Summary: Cat and Bones are called for one last job: to prevent a hit in New Orleans on the vampire King of LA, Eric Northman, and his wife, Sookie. Pairings: E/S and B/C. Spoilers through SVM 9 and NH 4.
1. Chapter 1

**We don't own Charlaine Harris' Sookie and Eric, and we don't own ****Jeaniene Frost's ****Cat and Bones...but we've had a great time playing with them!**

**A/N: A huge thank you from the three of us to ****_FarDareisMai2 _****(yes...she writes the most excellent House of Flesh on Fire ;-p) and Wildcat76 for their extra eyes. Any mistakes left in the story are solely the fault of the authors, not our Fu(kawesome Beta's!**

**If you want to know a little more about the three crazy authors behind this story, there are links to our personal FF profiles in the NorCrisp76 profile.  
**

**Cat POV**

It had been six months since I quit my job working for the government's secret branch of Homeland Security. Six blissful months in which I was able to focus on the relationship with the man I loved. Six months to rein in my new powers, and learn how to be the world's first known vampire-human hybrid turned full vampire. Six months to realize that balancing an insanely hectic and dangerous job and trying to maintain a full time, civil union with my vampire husband, just wasn't possible.

So why did I just agree to go back to work?

_________________

"Bollocks," Bones said, raking a hand through his hair, as he leaned against the corner of our living room couch, his annoyance plainly obvious.

"Bones, I didn't know what else to tell him. I just...I couldn't say _no_. Besides, it's just one job--"

He cut me off, "And I suppose Don thought you'd always come back to him? That all he had to do was ask it?"

Don, my former boss, and uncle, had let four years go by before I found out that his brother Max was the vampire who fathered me, and who was now unhappily living in the unit's headquarters in a remote bunker in Tennessee, since his capture more than a year ago. Max's torture—and I held no illusions that it wasn't daily—was still too good for the man who had seemed to want me dead as much as I did him. All misgivings aside though, Don had truly become my family and when you lack relatives like I do, it's hard to tell them no.

"It's just _one_ job…one time. More of a favor really, and he's the only family I have left besides my mom, and she sure as hell hasn't been readily available lately. I can't just say no to him."

My mother, Justina, was another issue entirely. She hadn't been _available_, mostly because she was still trying to get over the shock of being turned into a vampire—the one form of un-life she loathed above all others—against her will, and losing her lover, Rodney, a ghoul, all in the same week. She wanted to kill herself, and had actually tried, but with a stern chiding, _a la _Bones; she decided to try the undead thing for a while. We all thought Rodney deserved that much, considering he died his final death trying to rescue her. Unfortunately, she decided that accepting her new place in the world meant she would cut herself off from the rest of it. In fact, the only assurance I had that she was even still alive—rather, undead—was through text messages I received from her every other week or so.

"One job? And you think it will stop there?"

"Yes, I do. And I told him flat out, I won't be available after that. I won't be available for anyone but you. I swear," I said, now standing in front of him, placing one palm on his knee, and the other around the back of his neck.

"So where is this job then, Kitten?"

A nervous smile grew on my face, since I knew this was the one thing that would either make or break his agreement to let me do this. And I _was_ doing this, with or without him.

"New Orleans…" I said reluctantly.

I couldn't gauge his reaction, his face was steel. He was thinking, I could tell that much. Bones had a house in New Orleans, but the last time we were there, circumstances were…well, let's just say murky. And the Queen of New Orleans, the infamous, Marie Laveau, who had become a ghoul, and now went by the name Majestic, might not be eager to have us back again so soon. Was that why he looked so concerned? Or was it something else?

His icy expression worried me, and I moved the hand from his knee to his cheek. "What are you thinking?"

**____________**

**Bones POV**

I wasn't positive she would receive the call from Don, I was hoping not, but the bloke called anyway. As a one time hitman myself, I was still in the loop on that aspect of the vampire world.

I had gotten wind of a possible hit on the newly installed King of Louisiana, Eric Northman, and his human wife, Sookie, several weeks ago, but thought it better to stay out of it. After all, I had my own wife to worry about—and she had finally gotten free from the restraints and dangers of her former job. I knew she needed more time to get used to her new life as a full vampire. So, these past six months had been spent just enjoying each other's company, free of the burden's of the government's constant jobs, and helping her embrace her vampire side, while figuring out what parts of her humanity seemed to continue on in her. Her heart still beat at random, and she still only drank vampire blood, instead of human—which of course, I was readily available for. I wouldn't let her consume the blood from another, unless her life depended on it.

Yet she _was_ a vampire, in every other way. She still needed to sleep during the better part of the morning, but was swiftly becoming better at being completely mobile by the afternoon.

Going to New Orleans wasn't at the top of my list of things to do anytime soon. Being still so new, I believed Cat would need several years, maybe much longer, to be truly safe as she was.

Could I talk her out of doing something she'd already agreed to do, though? _Not bloody likely_. No, just as she promised her mum that she would find her father all those years ago, she never went back on her word. I'd be lying if I said it wasn't one of the things I loved about her.

"What are you thinking?" I hadn't even noticed I had lost myself in my thoughts, when she placed her small hand on the side of my cheek.

"Are you sure about this, Kitten? Are you sure you know what you're getting yourself into?"

"Well, I can't imagine it will be any different than any other job we've done…right?"

Now she looked at me, a question painted on her face. She didn't have to say it out loud for me to answer.

"I know about the hit on King Northman and his wife."

Her jaw dropped, and her hands fell from my face to her hips. "You _knew_?"

"Yes well, I had heard a rumor about a possible hit a few weeks ago, but when my assistance was not originally requested, I did not feel the need to get involved. I was hoping it would take care of itself and your uncle would leave you out of it. I should have known the bloke couldn't change his own nappies without you." I mumbled the last part, but I knew she heard me, vampire hearing and all.

"That's just _great _Bones. You should have said something, a hit on the King of Louisiana and his wife is pretty damn big news, don't you think?"

"Kitten—" she cut me off.

"You had to know that Homeland Security would be all over this Bones..."

"Yes, but—"

"So, I'm going to go out on a limb here and guess that you didn't tell me because you were, I don't know... concerned for my well being maybe?"

I started to open my mouth, but quickly closed it as she continued.

"That's right, _isn't_ it?"

Did she want me to talk now? "Kitten…yes, you are right. I honestly did not want to get involved in this. I do not think we need to be anywhere near New Orleans right now. You have only taken six months off from a dangerous career that you claimed to have been done with. Let someone else deal with it for Christ's sake!"

"I'm sorry, Bones. I _am _doing this. The question is, are you coming with me?"

__________________

After several phone calls, one to Eric Northman to inform him of our intended visit, of which Cat was aware, and another to Mencheres, my grandsire (from whom I learned first hand how a power exchange worked, when he transferred his power to me) to obtain suggestions and information, of which she was unaware, I had enough information to at least be prepared for all possible means of catching whoever placed the hit on Eric, as well as any and all parties involved. Not sure how Cat would receive the idea I had, to aid us in our mission, I opted to leave the details for later. But if she wanted me to go along with this, I was damn well going to do a few things _my _way.

A week later, we were on our way to New Orleans.

**Cat POV**

The trip by car from our home in Tennessee to New Orleans was about nine hours, a long drive, but Bones and I had traveled much longer and farther trying to escape Gregor six months earlier. This trip was a piece of cake, with whipped cream and a cherry on top, in comparison.

After crossing a twenty-two mile long bridge, we entered the Big Easy. There wasn't much traffic on the roads as it was late evening. After about fifteen minutes, we were driving down a beautiful avenue lined with majestic oak trees and gorgeous mansions. Quaint green trolley cars swayed along tracks in the grassy medium. I hadn't been in this part of the city before, but then again, I'd never been what you'd call a tourist here either. My previous time in New Orleans had been spent trying to out-smart a dream-snatcher and making nice with the voodoo ghoul Queen of New Orleans. So, not much time for sight-seeing. Bones apparently heard my brooding and said, "Kitten, we're on St. Charles Avenue in the Garden District, just uptown from my house in the French Quarter. And we're almost there, luv."

We turned down a side street and, after a few blocks, pulled up to a lovely, three-story, beige Greek Revival with dark green shutters, white columns and wrought iron balconies. _So this is what the King of Louisiana's house looks like, huh?_ It was elegant but not opulent. The car stopped and a large man approached, opening my door and offering his hand to me. _Pa-leez. Like I need your help. _Bones touched my shoulder, "Southern hospitality, Kitten. Don't want to be rude."

I accepted the man's hand and stepped outside. Bones got out and followed me towards the house. There were more guards standing outside and along the perimeter of the property. We stepped up to the large front porch and I caught the scent of gardenias mixed with the heaviness of the air. It sure was humid there, even in winter. I noticed a gas light flicker. As we approached the large, white entry door, a butler opened it, and beckoned us in. We entered a long foyer with a narrow staircase leading to the upper floors and large rooms on either side. To the right was a great room with fourteen foot ceilings, tall windows, and a marble fireplace. Plush sofas and chairs filled the room and gave it a homey feel. As we stepped into the room, I heard laughing and turned to see three blonde heads, two vampires and a woman, bent over a banquet-sized dining room table filled with decorations.

"Your Majesty, Mr. Bones and Ms. Cat," the butler nodded to us and left the room. The three heads looked up toward me and Bones. The male vampire straightened and began walking toward us, followed by the woman. He was so... _tall_.

As he approached, he tilted his head slightly, "Bones."

Bones nodded back, "Hallo there Mate, good to see you." I stood staring at the vampire. He was quite the specimen, with blond hair to his shoulders and..._my _what nice shoulders. Bones cleared his throat.

"Kitten, this is Eric Northman and I gather this lovely lady is your wife?"

"Yes, this is Sookie. Cat, nice to meet you," Eric dipped his head to me as he put his arm around his wife.

Sookie smiled and stepped forward to shake our hands, "So nice to meet you, Cat and Bones. Welcome to our home."

She was lovely with soft blond hair and blue eyes. And she had a warmth about her that made me feel at ease.

"We are planning a big party at Fangtasia in a couple of nights, so please excuse the mess," Sookie said. I looked around and the only mess I could see was the decorations on the dining room table. Next to the table stood the other vampire who was smirking at us.

"Oh, Cat and Bones, this is my child and second-in-command, Pam," Eric waved his hand toward Pam. Pam gave a sly grin and nod to Bones.

"Yes, Pam and I are old acquaintances," Bones said.

_Great, another ex? _I shot a look at Bones.

"She's an old friend of my child, Annette."

_And that's supposed to make me feel better? _Bones just shook his head and grinned, while Pam continued to smirk.

"Would you like a tour of the house?" Sookie asked it more of me than Bones.

I began, "Yes, that would be nice, Your High—"

"Please call me Sookie and my husband, Eric. We really aren't that formal, especially at home," Sookie smiled again. I nodded, and Eric motioned for Bones to follow him up the stairs. Sookie and I followed more slowly as we talked.

From the foyer, Sookie pointed to the other rooms downstairs and we began walking up the elegant, narrow staircase. Sookie explained that this was once Anne Rice's house and that she had written her last vampire books and The Witching Hour series here.

We had just gotten to the top of the stairs and were now standing on the upstairs landing.

I saw Bones and Eric standing in a room off the landing deep in conversation. _What are they up to? _The room appeared to be an office with a large desk, bookshelf from floor to ceiling, leather sofa, and fireplace. As Sookie and I approached the room, Bones and Eric lowered their voices. I would have been pissed had it not been for my astonishment upon entering the room.

The walls were covered in graffiti. Scripted handwriting in various colors of black, red, blue, and green ink ran all over the walls and stood in contrast to the elegant décor and furnishings.

Sookie noticed my surprise. "This room was Anne's office. She wrote words and phrases on the walls while she was writing The Witching Hour. My friends, Amelia and Octavia, say they can feel the magic in this room. Now, Eric uses it as his office, and I like to think that the vibe here helps him with his work as King."

**____________**

**Eric POV**

When Bones and I reached my office, I didn't waste any time. The women were right behind us. "Bones, you and I don't usually travel in the same circles, so why have you come?"

"Well mate, would you believe me if I said I stopped by to pay my respects?"

I raised an eyebrow and waited.

"Didn't think so." Bones lowered his voice and continued. "I've heard of a death threat against you."

I could barely hold back a laugh. "There are always death threats against the king. I should know. "

"Right then, but this one includes a threat against your wife."

Well, that got my attention, and just as I was about to start asking questions, Sookie and Cat approached. I looked at Bones. "Say no more."

While my mind was processing what Bones had just told me, I heard Sookie explaining the origins of the graffiti in my office.

When she finished, she asked, "Eric, do you want to entertain your guests in your office or shall we go to the parlor?" I needed time to question Bones alone, so although I knew I would probably regret this later, I summoned all my regal power and faced my wife.

"Sookie, I need to speak with Bones privately for a while, would you mind entertaining Cat until we are through? I believe Pam is still here as well. Perhaps Cat could help you and Pam finalize the party arrangements?"

Sookie's initial surprise at my request turned into irritation, and she looked like she wanted to stake me on the spot. I knew she would not like to be dismissed like this, but I needed to continue my conversation with Bones in private. I also knew I would pay for this tonight...in multiple ways.

Bones did not fair any better with his wife. At the mention of a private conversation, Cat turned and glared at Bones until he silently acknowledged her anger. I wondered if she could control herself. I had heard many stories about those silver knives of hers and her accuracy, and I certainly wasn't about to let my guard down.

After a moment though, Cat decided to play along by saying, "Sookie, I saw some great decorations on your table downstairs. Are you having a party? Would you mind showing me?"

Sookie and Cat rolled their eyes at each other, obviously aware they were being dismissed, and were none too pleased about it. Once the ladies started down the stairs, I closed my office door and turned to Bones.

"How can you be sure that Sookie is included in the death threat?"

"Tip from Homeland Security. Seems they want to keep you in as regent. They like you. They've been monitoring the threats and, if they're asking Cat to help, the threat is real, mate."

I gestured for Bones to take one of the visitor's chairs at my desk, while I took my usual seat behind it. Still, this was nothing new. I had death threats when I was Sheriff and knew that being King made me an even bigger target. I suppose it was only logical that Sookie would be involved, but usually, it was because someone wanted _me _finally dead so they could take her. The threats rarely included Sookie's death too.

Bones continued, "Homeland Security believes vampire hitmen have been hired to do the job, an undetermined number of professionals. They'll not stop coming at you until the job is done, although they do have a target date of February eighth. Homeland Security has no information on who is behind it."

Dracula Night. I would be hosting our annual Dracula Night Party that evening at our New Orleans Fangtasia. There would be hundreds of vampires in attendance. Any vampire in the area, even those passing through on that night, would be required to attend and pay their respects to the King and his wife in honor of the Prince of Darkness. Identifying multiple hitmen at such a party before the bloodshed starts would be nearly impossible. Even with body guards and extra security, there would still be too many opportunities for infiltration, and with two days until the party, there was not nearly enough time to craft an extensive plan.

"I see. What is Homeland Security offering?" I knew this was the real reason Bones was here. The government wanted stability among the undead in Louisiana, and saw me as king as a means to that end, so they were here to make an offer. One I'm sure I would find difficult to refuse.

"Cat and I will attend the party and keep an eye on the situation. If the sods show up, they'll be dealt with."

I stared at Bones across the desk. This was all he was offering? Homeland Security didn't bring their best vampire killer out of retirement just to attend a party. I was getting annoyed.

"What else aren't you telling me?"

Bones shifted in his seat. "All right then, _I _have a proposition that might help us uncover who is behind the hit, but it would require Sookie's assistance."

I guessed he was referring to Sookie's telepathy. But since Sookie could only read human minds and most of the party goers would be vampires, I couldn't see how she might help. "You are not using her as bait. I know of your reputation and I will not have my wife put purposefully in danger."

"Actually, I was thinking something quite different. What if Sookie's telepathy could be expanded to read vampires, and she was able to read them as they came through the receiving line? We can identify and capture the bastards, then you and I could beat the seven shades of shit out of them before _you _mete out the final punishment."

The thoughts of punishment made my fangs run down. But this wasn't about me, was it? "I am not keen on using Sookie in this way, but I need to know more about what you propose. Go on."

"Have you ever seen the transference of power from one vampire to another?"

Well, you don't exist for 1,000 years as vampire without witnessing most of the rituals associated with our kind. I had seen a power transfer once, decades ago. It was held arena style and involved two vampires engaging in a blood exchange. The more powerful vampire drank first. Power was transferred when the lesser vampire drank their combined blood as the more powerful vampire willed his abilities to the lesser vampire. Unless the stronger vampire willed his power to the other, no power would be transferred.

Bones continued. "The theory is that Sookie's telepathy may be increased by transferring additional power from a vampire with mind reading abilities to her, essentially pushing her abilities over the edge to include vampire minds. Amp her up, if you will."

Now for the critical question, although I was fairly certain I knew the answer already.

"And who would transfer this additional power to Sookie? I know what it involves."

Bones sat up in his chair and lowered his head in respect. _Good._ Then he spoke, "Eric, I'm asking your permission to exchange blood and power with your wife." He kept his head slightly dipped, waiting for a response.

What he was asking for was not my decision, ultimately—I could not order Sookie to do this, nor would I want to. While I appreciated his show of respect, there was more to this situation than my permission. What would Sookie think about this? Why would she want to open up her mind further? After all, she was attracted to the undead because she could not hear our thoughts.

"Bones, even if I allow my wife to exchange blood with another vampire, I am not eager to get her involved in the apprehension of killers coming to harm her. Too risky." I did not speak the other reason, that I did not want her to be able to read my mind. But weighing the other side of the coin, having access to such a telepath with increased skills could be beneficial to me as King. There was only one thing to be done.

"But I will consider discussing your proposal with Sookie. No one must know of this conversation. When and how would the power exchange take place, should I decide to move forward with it?"

I did not let him know that it was ultimately Sookie's decision. Appearances must be kept and it was no time to show weakness for any human, including my wife. Let Bones think it was my decision.

Bones went on to explain that after consulting with his grandsire, an Egyptian vampire who had upgraded Bones' vampire powers recently, exchanging blood with a human would most likely result in a temporary upgrade of powers.

Since we wouldn't have an "arena style" ceremony, success would depend on generating magic in other ways. It might not even work, considering Sookie's faerie heritage. Because of the temporary nature of the power, the exchange would be scheduled for the night before the party. Until then, Sookie and I would need to be very careful about our security.

"And what of your wife, Bones? What does Cat think about this?

His lips curled up slightly as he responded. "She doesn't know about it yet."

**____________**

**Cat POV**

Sookie and I went down the stairs silently. I couldn't believe that after all Bones and I had been through, he would just dismiss me like that! Hadn't Don contacted _me_ for this job? Wasn't it _me_ who decided we were doing this job? _Me_ who talked Bones into it? He had a hell of a lot of nerve. The bastard!

While I was imagining calling Bones that to his face, I could almost hear him say, "Yes, Kitten, I'm the son of a bloody whore. Was a whore myself once. But you knew that when you married me." He always had a retort like that. The thought made me even angrier and I clenched my nails into my palms.

I followed Sookie back into the parlor. Pam was sitting at the dining room table with the decorations. She looked up and smirked.

_Great. Just what I need right now. A former Bones play-thing rubbing it in on top of everything else!_ I wanted to yank out one of my silver knives and stake her on that damn table_._

"Ah, Cat, would you like to have a seat?" Sookie's voice had a sharpness to it, and I realized she was almost as angry as I was.

"Sookie, are you used to being dismissed like that by your husband?" I asked.

"On occasion, Cat, because he's king and all. But it doesn't mean I like it."

"Men. They're all the same," I snorted.

"That's why I prefer women. No dick slapping contests," Pam said matter-of-factly.

I looked at Pam and she was grinning at me. Ok, maybe I shouldn't hate her so much.

"Cat, I hope you and Bones will be in town for our Dracula Night Party at Fangtasia in two days," Sookie said trying to change the subject.

"Dracula….?" I started.

"Yes, every year on February eighth, Eric throws a birthday party for Dracula. He's Eric's idol, you know. Dracula has never actually shown up but, that doesn't make it any less of an event," Sookie explained.

Pam rolled her eyes.

"A birthday party for Dracula, huh? And he never comes to his own party? That's just rude," I said.

"Well, I just see it as a good excuse to throw a fun party," Sookie smiled.

She and Pam started showing me some of the decorations they were working on of vintage movie posters. One had Bela Lugosi as Dracula, another had Frank Langella, and another, Gary Oldman. One was from _Love Bites_ with Adam Ant. The last one was from the silent movie _Nosferatu_. What a positively horrific looking vampire! We really cracked up at that one.

As we were looking at the posters and laughing, Bones and Eric came into the room.

"Right, then. Ready to go, Kitten?" Bones arched his eyebrow. He knew he was going to get it from me very soon.

"Yes, I guess we better get to the house and unpack," I said.

Sookie took my hand, "So nice to meet you, Cat. I hope you and Bones will make the party."

I smiled. _You have no idea how we'll make that party. _

Bones and I finished saying our goodbyes to Eric, Sookie, and Pam, and we left. The silence was deafening once we were driving, but I didn't want to get into an argument with Bones in the car. We turned back onto the lovely avenue we had traveled on earlier, and headed towards downtown. The streets soon became more crowded with cars, cabs, and pedestrians, and as we entered the French Quarter, I noticed it was swarming with more ghosts as well. They were everywhere, on the streets, on roof tops, on balconies. Although I remembered them from my prior visit, they still surprised me. They're not something you see in picture postcards of the city (most humans could not see them), and I'm not sure I could ever get used to them completely but, I thought they made the Quarter even more beautiful and vibrant, however dead they may be.

Our car crossed a busy intersection near the heart of the Quarter, and pulled up to a familiar three-story red brick Creole building with lacy iron balconies. We got out and as we were gathering our bags, Liza came out to greet us. Even for a ghoul, she seemed overjoyed to see us, "Welcome, Mr. Bones and Ms. Cat! It's so nice to have you back!" Liza kissed us both on either cheek, and offered to help carry our bags. The look on Liza's face, and being at Bone's beautiful home, made me wish I wasn't so mad at him.

I was just about to thank Liza for her offer when I opened the trunk and saw something odd.

**Bones POV**

If I wasn't already certain she was angry with me, the silent treatment on the way home made it all too clear. My Kitten was _mad_.

Helping me unload our baggage from the car didn't help the situation.

"What's this, Bones?" _Bloody hell_, I had completely forgotten. I looked up to see her holding a rolled up rug in one hand, in the other, one of four Egyptian candles I had brought, a confused look on her face. Not the way I wanted her to discover the items Mencheres had recommended I bring to New Orleans.

"It's just some stuff I thought to bring along…something Mencheres..." I paused. _Buggers_. There really was no way to explain it, without further fueling our regular fight, already in progress.

"Mencheres?"

"Yes, well…"

"Great, Bones. Just _great_. _Now _what are you keeping from me?" She turned around and grabbed her purse and a duffel bag off the back seat of the car, and slammed the door, not giving me the chance to explain.

"Kitten, just listen to me."

"No. I don't think I will."

She stomped by me, shoving the rug and candle into my chest with enough force to make me struggle for balance. If I thought she was pissed before, she was undeniably _livid_ now.

It wasn't as if I hadn't had my share of fights with her, that redheaded fire in her spirit was present long before she became a full vampire, though it didn't seem to take as much now to make her fly off the handle. I was sure that would decrease eventually. Only time would tell.

I followed behind her. Liza had already gone inside, and opened the door to welcome us in. Immediately, I knew it was clear to the bird that all was not well between me and my wife, and so, she took it upon herself to shove off to bed.

"It's so great to see you two again!" Liza said, and then began to feign a yawn. "I think I'll just be hitting the hay though. You're both probably tired too, long drive and all. We can catch up tomorrow."

"Yes Liza, you are probably right, Cat and I _are _very tired," I glanced at Cat just in time to see her roll her eyes, and let out a snort. She had already tossed one of her bags across the room with the grace of a possessed child, and plopped down on the living room sofa.

Liza stood a moment longer, her head darting briefly between Cat and myself, before turning swiftly and walking up the stairs; the sound of her bedroom door creaking shut followed a few short seconds later.

I turned to Cat. "Get on with it."

"_Excuse_ me?"

"Well, Kitten, the way I see it, we can either chat it out now, or you can continue to give me the silent treatment. Though, I really don't think that will help us walk out of this city alive."

"That's funny," she began, laughing, though clearly not amused. "I was certain you had already excluded me from _my own job. _I might as well go home; it seems you've got things from here." She crossed her arms, turning her head away from me.

"You know that isn't the case, luv."

She whipped her head back toward me. "Really, _luv_?" The words seethed from her as she mocked me, her eyes had already begun to tint green.

"_Kitten_, calm down and let me explain." She hadn't told me to bugger off just yet, so I thought we might actually end up having some sort of civil conversation. I was wrong.

"No. You have a hell of a lot of nerve coming along on a job that _my_ uncle asked _me_ to do, then excuse me from a conversation with the subject of my mission, as if you just decided, "_Gee, now that we're here, I think I'll just take over, and Cat can plan the pretty party with the ladies_'."

Now I had to roll _my _eyes.

She continued. "So tell me about Mencheres then, tell me why you felt the need to contact him about this job without telling me, and why in hell it involves candles and a rug."

So I explained—or attempted to explain—the idea about the power exchange, what it entailed, and why I had to get Eric alone to ask his permission to exchange blood with Sookie. She didn't like my explanation though. Not by a long shot. All she seemed to hear me say were the words _blood _and _Sookie. _And to her, that seemed to be the equivalent of a bedtime romp. After witnessing the power exchange between Mencheres and myself, she should have known exactly what took place. Throw a woman into the mix, and she bent out of bloody shape.

The first object she threw at me was a pillow.

"If you wanted to fuck another girl Bones, you didn't have to go about it in such an elaborate way!" She yelled, as I caught the pillow with one hand.

"You're being ridiculous. It has absolutely nothing to do with sex—"

"_Am _I being ridiculous?" Deciding the pillow was too soft, she threw a candle from the coffee table next. I caught it with my other hand.

"_Kitten_, you are trying my patience."

My eyes were now glowing too. Her jumping to absurd conclusions about my intentions with Sookie infuriated me. Never, had I _ever_, wanted to shag another woman since I met her. Even after she had broken my heart by leaving me all those years ago, and the opportunity to erase her memory by burying myself inside other women had been presented constantly, I still didn't want another. I loved her truly, and madly then, and I always would. It hurt to think she could twist my explanation now, so drastically.

"Oh, you've tried mine too baby, and I can throw things all night!"

That was it! She turned to grab a dish filled with synthetic potpourri from the table, and I was on her in less than a second.

"That's _enough_!" Now _I _was yelling.

I had her pinned to the floor. Straddling her waist, I swung my legs back awkwardly to hold hers down, while I held her wrists down on the floor beside her. I could hear her heart beating like a drum from the adrenaline, as she struggled beneath me. Her heartbeat was one of several human traits she still seemed to maintain. Whenever she was excited, her ticker seemed to beat louder, and faster, than it ever had when she was human. That sound, though I should have been nothing but angry by then, flipped another switch inside of me. I could feel myself growing hard against her stomach. She didn't miss it either, and looking at my crotch, then back to my eyes…a slight smirk replaced the straight, angry line, her mouth had been.

I'll be the first to admit, I'm a bloody man. I've had a good long life, and shagged a good many women. So, when I see an opportunity like this before me, I take it. And having it off with my wife when we're at our angriest…well, I'm not above using that anger to get each other's rocks off. I blame her, she has the power to both boil my blood and make my cock ache simultaneously.

"Does this get you off, holding me down like this? Do you feel powerful?" She continued to struggle, but if I thought I was hurting her, or if she had truly wanted me to get off of her, I would have.

"Too bloody right, it does."

"Is it control, Bones?"

I bent over her, whispering in her ear. "Pardon me?" I placed my lips at the base of her ear, licking slowly down to the collar of her much too constricting t-shirt. Her heartbeat, while still fast and loud, seemed to even out a touch, her excitement turning from violence, to desire—I could smell it.

"_You _heard me. You like to know you're stronger than me." Confused, I stopped, lifting my head to look at her again, wondering if she still wanted to fight...or fuck. "That's okay…I like it too." She lifted her head toward me as much as she could with my weight still very much holding her down, and licked me, from below my ear, to the collar of my shirt, mirroring what I had just done to her.

I closed my eyes, briefly, and growled. I could feel my control reaching its limits. "Are you _toying_ with me, luv?"

"Do you want me to toy with you…_luv_?" Where she had mimicked me contemptuously during our fight, the word luv, now, left her tongue sounding like pure sex.

It was all I could do to not rip her clothes off and take her fast and hard. But I wanted to continue the game. With deliberate slowness, I moved both of her arms above her head, pinning her wrists with one hand. She smiled at me, seductively, and I had to stop to take it all in. She was so fucking beautiful; her hair, a disheveled mass of red falling around her face…_on_ her face…on her shoulders...on the floor. I shifted my legs to a more comfortable position, risking the possibility that she actually _was _just toying with me, and exposing my vulnerable erection to her knees. Lucky for me, kneeing me in the groin didn't seem to be on her mind just then.

The way I shifted to straddle her waist seemed to give her just enough room to bring her leg up to press against my crotch, and she began rubbing and teasing me with her knee and thigh. As I continued to hold her hands above her head with one hand, I brought the other to the button of her jeans. The second the impeding cloth was gone, my fingers were under her knickers, and I thrust them inside of her.

"_Bones_!" She yelled, as my thumb began rubbing her clit in small circles, while two more fingers probed, and twisted within her.

"Good, luv?"

"Yes…"

"Not enough though, is it? You want more." I brought my mouth to hers, and kissed her hard and deep.

"Yes…more…_please_…" She struggled to get the words out as my lips continued their assault on hers.

It was a request I was more than happy to oblige her with. She was so wet and ready, I couldn't have stopped myself if I'd wanted to. I had to be inside of her. I ripped my own pants free, as well as her panties, and was in her with one quick thrust. She screamed, and immediately wrapped her legs around my waist. As soon as she did that, I released her wrists, and grabbed her behind her back, reversing our positions in one swift movement, so that she was on top.

I loved to see her on top of me. She was always so beautiful; her hair wild, her cheeks flushed, her lips, red and swollen, her breasts moving in time with our rhythm. _Fuck_, it was almost too much.

I lifted my body off the floor so that we were in an upright sitting position, and wrapped my arms around her tight as she met me, thrust for thrust. After a minute, I lifted her in my arms, stood, and brought us to the couch, where I sat on the very edge, with her still straddling my waist. We never broke our union, as we fell back into a perfect rhythm. When I bucked my hips up to meet hers, she slammed back into me, when I slowed and twisted, reaching the spot I knew she loved, she moaned, and I could tell she nearly lost it.

"That's it, luv, isn't it? That's the spot."

"Yes…yes…_yes!_" She didn't seem to be able to say much of anything else as she rode me, her arms wrapped around my neck, her breath warm on my ear. It was exactly the reaction I had been aiming for, of course. When she could no longer talk, I knew she was close. I knew _I_ was close.

Several thrusts later, I felt her clench around my cock, as she dug her nails deep into the flesh on my back and screamed, "God…_Bones_!" just before sinking her fangs into my neck.

That was all it took for me to finish along with her, and I thrust one last time, as I sank my own fangs into her shoulder, and emptied myself inside of her.

She collapsed onto my chest, as I removed my fangs from her, and licked the wound. We sat there, dazed, for several long minutes. I didn't have to read her mind to know what she was thinking about. Sex, during or immediately following a fight, didn't mean the fight had never happened. While she was upset with me for keeping her slightly out of the loop on the plans I made with Eric regarding Sookie, I thought I had every right to be just as angry at her, for her lack of trust in me. But sitting there, sated, with the woman I loved still wrapped around my softening flesh, it was beyond me to fight anymore, and I just hoped that she felt the same way.

"You're so perfect, Kitten." I said, placing a soft kiss on her neck.

She lifted her head, and leaned her forehead against mine, looking into my eyes. "Even when I'm a royal bitch?"

"Even then, luv."

And it was true, even when she made me want to strangle her beautiful neck, I still loved her. Sometimes it was the making up that told me it was all worth it. And sometimes, it just didn't matter. She _was _a moody bitch every now and then, just as she had warned me that first year we met, right before she told me she loved me for the first time. I loved her then, and I have never stopped loving her. I never would.

"So we're good, then?" I could feel the tension in her voice, but I knew then, that she too, no longer wanted to fight.

"Just tell me one thing."

She pulled her forehead from mine, eyeing me reluctantly. "What?"

"You know I would never cheat on you, and you know this thing with Sookie has only to do with getting a job done, right?"

"I do." She sighed. "And I'm sorry for making it seem like I don't trust you. Lately...I just find it hard to control my temper. But I do love you, Bones."

"And you know I love you, Kitten."

"You have to promise me something."

"Anything, luv."

"Don't you _ever_ go behind my back like that again. When we do a job together, we do it as a team. No secrets, no misgivings. We're partners, or we're nothing. Understood?"

It was hard to argue with a beautiful woman while your cock was still buried inside of her, especially when that beautiful woman was making you hard all over again.

"Understood." I said and grinned, a second before I flipped her onto her back, to demonstrate again just how much of a team player I could be.

**Eric POV**

As soon as the front door closed, Sookie was on me.

"Your _majesty_, can I see you in your office?"

She managed to make my title sound like an insult. Great. I was in trouble. Big trouble. At least she wasn't going to let me have it in front of the staff, I was grateful for that.

Once inside the office, she closed the door none too gently and whipped around at me.

"Eric Northman, what was that all about? And don't give me that I won't lie to you, just not tell you everything crap. You better start spilling it right now. Everything. NOW. "

She glared at me, tapping her foot. She was probably going to call me "Buddy" soon, or stick her finger in my chest, if I didn't start talking.

"Lover, come sit down. I will explain everything, really. Just come over and sit with me."

At first I thought she was going to refuse, but she made her way over to the couch and took a seat at one end, crossing her arms over her chest. I sat down at the opposite end, leaned forward with my elbows on my knees, placed my head in my hands and took a moment to collect my thoughts. How do you tell your wife that she is a target of a death threat, and I was asked to consider having her and Bones engage in the intimate act of swapping blood? Well, best to get it over with, so I turned to look at her.

"Sookie, Cat and Bones came here today to warn us about a death threat."  
"And?" I was starting to think this woman knew me too well. She waited for me to drop the other shoe.

"Well, Homeland Security has a tip there is a death threat against both of us and they are thinking it will happen on February eighth. Cat and Bones will be at the Dracula Night Party for increased security. I am going to be getting additional body guards for both of us until this threat has passed. There really is no reason to worry, Sookie, you know I have been through this before."

"Couldn't they just have told you that on the phone? Why did they come here and what were you talking about for so long in your office? And thanks for flexing your royal muscle and dismissing Cat and I to work on party plans. Could you be any more condescending? "

It would be a mistake to even bring up what Bones and I discussed at this point. Sookie was still angry with me and would not be receptive to anything, unless I calmed her down. Guess it was time to eat some crow.

"Lover, Bones was just following protocol and you know that appearances are important in my position." This next part was the hardest. "I am sorry if you thought I was being condescending."

"Well, Eric, don't let the apology choke you. And don't think I don't know that you are still not telling me something. I'm losing my patience, Eric."

At least she hadn't called me Buddy ... yet. Okay, here goes.

"Sookie, Bones also had an idea for identifying the hitmen at the party, but it involves your help." She sat up straight and glared at me, waiting for me to continue. "He suggested a way that might increase your telepathic abilities so that you could read vampire minds ..."

"So, why didn't he talk to me about it? You do remember that I like to make my own decisions, right?"

Finally, I was heading into some predictable waters." Sookie, I know you like to make your own decisions, and you will decide whether you want to do what he is proposing. However, I have my own appearances to maintain that impact our safety, so please understand that this is the way it must be. Bones' only obligation was to speak with me on this issue, and now it is up to me to inform you. It is the way it has always been done. I made no decision for you, trust me."

"You know I trust you, Eric. But it will always aggravate me that everything has to go through you to me. So how would this work? Magic of some kind?"

Time to just go for it. Lay it all out and see what she says. "I guess you could say that. It would involve a blood exchange," I paused, waiting for a reaction that I didn't get, so I continued, "between you and Bones. He is telepathic, so he would transfer some of his telepathic abilities to you during the exchange, possibly resulting in you being able to read vampire minds. At the party, you would work with Bones to read the minds of our guests as they go through the receiving line. If you thought anyone was suspicious, you could send that to Bones, and he and Cat could take care of the situation."

Again, I waited for a reaction. Sookie got up from the couch and started pacing around the room. It looked like she was considering the proposal or maybe she was thinking of a way to really let me have it. I had thought she would refuse as soon as she heard about the blood exchange part. Was she really considering this? Finally, she turned to me.

"Two questions, Eric. How do you feel about this, the blood exchange, I mean? And, would it be a permanent change? You know I like the quiet minds here, I don't think I want to change that. Most of the time I wish I couldn't read human minds. If this is something that could help us get through this though, I'll consider it, but I want to know how you feel. I would never agree to do something that intimate without your input. "

"I am not eager for you to exchange blood with anyone but me. I will admit to being intrigued by the end result, especially if it is temporary and you have no objections. But it is your decision to make Sookie. I will protect you either way. And while I would not like you swapping blood with someone else, I will be there the entire time, in case you change your mind. You would not be in any danger."

"Eric, I need some time to think about this. When would we do this?"

"The night before the party. We have a little time for you to consider this, and I really want you to be sure about it. It is your decision to make and if you want to do it, I will give my permission."

"What?"

"Since you are my wife, Bones needed to ask my permission. I said I would speak to you and left it at that. No need for him to know any more."

"Eric, this whole vampire politics stuff ... never mind, that isn't important right now, is it?"

Her anger suddenly changed to something else, I probed the bond and found it was fear, mixed with determination. She walked over to me where I was still sitting on the couch, and I reached out and pulled her into my lap. I could tell through the bond she was no longer angry. I wrapped my arms around her and kissed the top of her head.

"No one will harm a hair on this head again. I swear to you, Sookie. Just think about what Bones is offering and we can discuss it further if you would like. You have some time to make your decision. But no matter what, I _will_ be there to protect you. "

She looked up at me, the past clouding her eyes, and said in a quiet voice, "I trust you Eric."

___________________________________

**We're 99.9 % certain that this is the first SVM/NH crossover in history. So...what do you think so far? **

**We will post a teaser to the next chapter on Teaser Monday, and aim to post the whole chapter by next Friday. This is a short story, and will only have four chapters. **

**And...just for fun...can you guess what NorCrisp76 stands for?  
**


	2. Chapter 2

**We don't own Charlaine Harris' Sookie and Eric, and we don't own ****Jeaniene Frost's ****Cat and Bones...but we've had a great time playing with them!**

**A/N: A huge thank you from the three of us to ****_FarDareisMai2 _****(yes...she writes the most excellent House of Flesh on Fire ;-p) and Wildcat76 for their extra eyes. Any mistakes left in the story are solely the fault of the authors, not our Fu(kawesome Beta's!**

**And to answer where the name NorCrisp76 comes, it's a combo of NORTHMAN and CRISPIN, but the 76 is because Alex Skarsgard was born in 1976. **

**Oh, and we've added a few links in the author profile that go with the story!**

**Enjoy the citrus!  
**

* * *

**Eric POV**

Sookie paced around my office while I shuffled paperwork on my desk. As I watched her, I wondered what she was more nervous about, the death threats against us or swapping blood with Bones. Death threats were nothing new to me—it was an expectation that came with the title of king. I've faced threats before, and truth be told, I usually found these situations more stimulating than worrisome. But my lack of concentration tonight had more to do with the fact that supposedly, the hired killers were coming for Sookie, not just for me.

I agreed to this blood exchange for two reasons. The first, was that I knew Sookie would insist upon being an active participant in whatever actions were taken, so it was just easier and safer to let her help. Second, I was intrigued by the potential outcome. There was a little time before Bones and Cat would arrive for the power exchange, and I wanted, no needed, to be sure that Sookie still wanted to do this. Part of me wished she would change her mind and refuse, since it would be difficult for me to witness her drinking from another vampire. Yet another part of me was curious as to whether it would work, and what advantage or vulnerability it might bring me.

"Lover, you don't have to do this if you don't want to. We can find another way."

I must have startled her from her thoughts, since she quickly turned to face me, her tone a little sharp and annoyed, betraying her nervousness.

"Don't you think I should do this, Eric? Someone wants to kill us and this could help stop them. I'm not going to sit by and do nothing. You know that's not my way. If there is an opportunity to stop these bastards, I'm going to take it. I learned that much from the Fairy War."

Her mention of the Fairy War made us both flinch. We tried to put the war in the past, but memories of that time still cropped up and made me angry. Niall closing off fairy realm was just the beginning of the changes that would occur in the vampire hierarchy and in our lives.

Felipe De Castro's refusal to help retrieve Sookie, after he had formally conferred protection upon her, started a war between vampire factions and hastened the eventual demise of the former King of Louisiana. As Sookie healed from the wounds inflicted by Neave and Lochlan during the months that followed, I made sure that no one would prevent me from helping her again. Despite how awful that time was, it had helped move Sookie and I to a new place in our relationship, and the most important outcome had been an acceptance of our feelings about each other, along with the realization that our lives would change because of it.

When I was appointed King and asked her to come to New Orleans with me, she said yes. A new chapter had begun for us. We each accepted our own proud nature. I would always want to protect her, and she would always want to make her own decisions and own her life. We committed to understanding these divergent qualities in us and not let them put a wall between us, as it had in the past. She accepted our bond and vampire marriage, and we were happy and content in our new life together. That is, until this death threat. Sookie had surprised me by agreeing to the power exchange, but maybe we both looked at the danger in our lives differently now.

I brought my thoughts to the present and I tried to calm her down. "Yes, but it might not even work. Bones couldn't be certain. And I don't want you to feel forced into it. It might even be risky for you to complete this blood exchange—we just don't know."

"Well, I'm going to do what I can to protect us, whether you give your permission or not." She glared at me, needling me because she was still a little angry for not being included in the initial meeting with Bones. She crooked her index and middle finger on both hands to make quotation marks when she said "permission".

"Lover, you know that is just vampire protocol. You are mine. Bones was bound by vampire law to ask my permission."

As I explained this again to her, Sookie rolled her eyes, still struggling with our vampire rules, especially those that took away her independence or made her property.

"Well, I don't think his wife was too happy about being excluded either, and she _is _a vampire. Will Cat be able to watch me drink his blood without wanting to stake me? She's a new vampire and doesn't have the control you have. And I'd like to know how you really feel about watching me drink from another vampire."

Finally, something I knew I could reassure her of. "I'll be with you the entire time, lover. No harm will come to you by her hand. As for me, there is no question of my control when it comes to your safety. I won't like watching you do this, but I can accept it."

Her face and posture softened somewhat at my words. Sookie walked to me, where I sat at my desk, looked me right in the eye and said, "I trust you Eric". She kissed me then, and as I kissed her back, I knew that everything would be all right. I could watch another vampire share blood with my wife under these circumstances, and still know that she was mine. I trusted her, loved her. If she was willing to engage in this power exchange to try and catch the hired killers, I would do all I could to protect us and stand with her. I loved her courage and would not stifle that in her.

I pulled her onto my lap and nestled her under my chin, just holding her, settling her. In spite of her brave words, I could still feel her fear through our bond. I spoke softly, "Sookie, this blood exchange is about power, not sex. We both need to remember that."

Even though Bones and I never really discussed the sexual aspects of the blood exchange, Sookie was well aware of a vampire's feed and fuck connection. With her southern values, she would be worried about getting turned on by the exchange, particularly in front of others. I would be there during the blood exchange to make sure that anything sexual was kept under tight control. Sookie relaxed a little, and then tensed up again when she asked, "What if it works? I'll be able to read your mind. You've never wanted that. What if my shields don't work? What if our bond changes?"

Like always, Sookie managed to cut right to the heart of the problem. She already knew me so well. I was less worried about the transient sexual aspects of the exchange than I was about Sookie being able to read vampire minds in general, and mine specifically. What would she think about me if she could reach inside my head? Would she be overwhelmed when our minds were not quiet for her any longer? Sookie's acceptance of our diversity endeared her to many of us, and I hoped that would not diminish if she could receive our thoughts.

"Bones thinks that if a limited amount of blood is exchanged, the effects of the power transfer could be temporary. Let's not worry about the 'what if's,' just yet, okay?" I nuzzled her neck, then I tenderly kissed her again, and I felt her relax against me. I tightened my arms around her, cocooning her in my embrace until I could feel her calm down through the bond.

After a few moments of just sitting in silence, she looked to me and asked, "Eric, can we go over how we're going to use my new power to find these hitmen? What I'm supposed to do at the party? I know we talked about it but I'd like to go over it again."

For the next twenty minutes I outlined the plan that Bones proposed, going over options and fall back plans. Sookie listened attentively, questioning in all the right places. We had just finished going over all the details when my assistant, Bobby, announced that our visitors had arrived.

____________

When Cat and Bones entered my office, I could feel the power oozing from Bones, and I could smell the irritation flaring in Cat. Obviously, Cat was no longer in the dark about what was taking place here tonight. I knew Sookie could feel it too from the questioning look she gave me. I considered pulling the plug on the whole thing.

Bones and Cat acknowledged me with a bow, as required when greeting someone of my stature, and Sookie did what her southern upbringing commanded, as she stood to greet her guests. She went directly to Cat, took her hand, and welcomed her to our home with the grace of a queen. The atmosphere in the room immediately changed from tense to determined. She then welcomed Bones in the same manner and as Sookie turned away, I saw Cat give Bones a little smile, the kind that lovers give each other. Seeing that smile eased my mind a bit, since I recognized it as the kind of smile I'd seen from Sookie. It was the smile that said she was still angry with me, but not forever. It was good to know that Cat and Bones had resolved this situation between them to some degree.

No one wanted to make small talk. Bones placed the satchel he was carrying down, turned to Sookie and asked, "Sookie, are you sure you want to do this? You can still say no." Sookie looked to me, and back at Bones and said, "Let's do it."

Bones got right down to business. "Right then, so this is how we will do it. Sookie, I'll drink from you first. Eric will get your neck ready for my bite. Did Eric explain about my fangs?" Bones tried to keep it clinical.

"Eric mentioned that yours were different than his, but why don't you tell me again."

"Just as vampires can have different powers, we can also have different types of fangs. Eric's fangs, for example, release anti-coagulant when he bites and a healing coagulant after he is done feeding. This makes the vampire bite palatable to humans. My fangs are different in that they secrete a mild drug to achieve the same effect. So you should expect that my bite will be different than Eric's. It might burn a bit."

Sookie knew from experience that a vampire could control whether the bite was pleasurable or painful. "Try not to make it hurt too much, okay? Eric, where are you going to be during all this?"

"I will be holding you from behind, lover, and if you want to stop, just say so and everything will stop."

That seemed to calm Sookie down a bit. Cat, however, still looked miffed as she stood as far away from us as possible, but certainly close enough to keep an eye on the situation.

"What happens after you drink from me? I mean, I know what _happens_, but how do I drink from you? Do I have to bite you?"

Cat snorted. She was _definitely _not happy.

Bones turned to Cat and gave her a look as if to admonish her from saying anything. He pulled a knife from his pocket and opened the blade, placing it on the table nearby. "I'll hand you my knife, and you will slit my throat and drink from me until I say stop."

Sookie lightly fingered the handle of the knife and said again, "Okay, let's do it."

Bones turned to his wife and said, "Kitten, will you be a luv and help me get setup over here? I need my bag."

Another snort. She didn't move. I thought about pulling the plug again.

"Kitten, would you rather wait outside? We won't be very long."

"Not on your undead life, Bones." Cat said.

She moved then, went over and picked up the bag Bones brought and removed a red carpet, four candle holders and candles.

"Place the rug in the center of the floor, with the four candles at each corner and light them. Then we will be ready."

The red rug was square, four feet on each side, with an Egyptian ankh symbol stitched in gold in the center. The four candlesticks were stone carved ankhs with a small votive candle in the foreground. Both the rug and candles looked very old. Sookie reached down to help Cat spread the rug out on the open floor.

"What is this for?" Sookie asked as she helped Cat smooth the rug on the floor.

"My grandsire, Mencheres, gave it to me just after we joined our lines. It belonged to his sire and is said to contain great magic relating to power, energy and psychic abilities. The symbol in the center is an ankh, which is the Egyptian symbol for eternal life. The candles bear the same symbol. Since magic is needed to complete the power transfer, the rug will help contain the power around us during the blood exchange."

If Sookie had any follow-up questions, she didn't ask them. Once the rug was in place, Cat lit the candles and stepped back, resuming her position by the far wall. Smart girl. It was probably best that she stayed away from what was going to happen in the next few minutes. I noted her position, on the chance she might not take Sookie's feeding from her husband's neck gracefully. If Cat couldn't control herself, I needed to be ready to protect Sookie.

With a quick glance over at Cat, Bones then turned and stepped onto the rug. "Sookie, come over here and stand on this rug facing me. Be careful of the candles. Eric, you can get into position too." Bones fangs ran down and when they did, my fangs made their appearance too.

I stepped behind Sookie and placed my right arm around her waist, pulling her close to my body. I could feel her tension.

I whispered to her, "Lover, you know the routine?" With a nod to Bones, I used my left hand to move Sookie's hair from her neck, leaned down, and licked and teased her vein to bring it to the surface. After a time, Sookie whispered, "I'm ready." I silently signaled for Bones to bite.

Bones fangs dug into Sookie's neck and I felt my own lust flare at the sight of his fangs in her neck. As Bones began to draw her blood into his mouth, I watched Sookie for any signs that she wanted to stop. I could feel her relaxing in my arms as the venom in Bones' fangs took hold of her, and at the same time, I could feel my own control begin to be sorely tested. My brain screamed, _Mine ...Control..._. _Maintain... _at the same time my dick got hard watching her reaction as Bones drank from her_._ If it were not for the fact that I both knew Bones and agreed beforehand to allow this exchange for the sake of protecting my kingdom, I would have ripped him to shreds the minute he touched Sookie. Holding her as I watched him suck her life blood, was almost more than even I could handle at that moment. But before I lost my composure, Bones removed his fangs, licked the residual blood drops from Sookie's neck and raised his head, signaling me to lick Sookie's neck to coagulate the blood leaking from the wounds. I hated smelling Bones on her as I licked.

Sookie moved her neck to its normal position, but her eyes had a dreamy look and I wasn't sure if she was even registering what was happening. My concern for Sookie and her exposure to Bones' fang venom forced me to ask, "How do you feel, lover?" At first, I didn't know if she heard me, but then she said in a strained voice, "I'm alright."

Bones asked if she was ready to move on and Sookie gave the go-ahead and then Bones picked up the open knife.

She didn't hesitate when she took the knife from Bones and sliced into his neck, latching onto the blood that seeped out of the wound. When the knife fell to the floor from Sookie's hand and her lips touched his neck, a rush of power engulfed the room. Waves of something akin to electrical currents crashed through in sync with Sookie's suck and swallow rhythm. As I watched her drink, I was relieved since it seemed as though she didn't like it ... at first. But the more she drank, the harder she sucked, partially closing her eyes as she pulled his blood into her. It became more difficult to hold her body against mine as the power in the room sought to part us. My composure was again tested and thankfully, Bones knew enough not to meet my eyes, because if he did, this room would turn into a blood bath.

After a few more deep pulls of his blood, Bones gently grasped Sookie's head and said "enough" and again, "enough." I tightened my grip on Sookie and reminded her to breathe before I picked her up in my arms.

**Sookie POV**

Eric, Bones, and I stood in the middle of the room. Cat was leaning against the wall, her mouth turned down at the corners. She wasn't pleased with what about to transpire. My heart was racing and the three vampires could sense this as their fangs ran down. Eric placed his hands on either side of my waist as he began to gently nibble and suck on my neck. "Lover, you know the routine." Yes, from our love-making I knew it well.

Bones looked down at me questioningly. "I'm ready," I whispered. Bones placed his hands on my shoulders. He leaned over my bent neck and tickled my pulse point with his tongue. Then he bit. A gasp escaped my lips and a low moan hummed through my body as he drank. I sank as Bones continued drawing on my neck, while Eric held me up under my arms. I could feel Eric's arousal against my back and through the bond. As I yielded to the fire pulsing through my body, a realization flashed through me, _I'm going to climax. _As soon as this thought crossed my mind, Bones stopped drinking and pulled away from me. He stood back, licking his lips. Eric leaned over, licking the bite marks to stop the bleeding. He raised his head and stared down at me, "How do you feel, Lover?"

"I'm…alright..." My throat was hoarse. I could barely speak.

"Are you ready for part two?" Bones asked.

I glanced at Cat in the corner. She was scowling. _Nothing to be done at this point_, I thought. "Yes," I answered. I was still reeling, but I wanted to get this exchange over with before my new friend Cat pounced on me with her silver knives. I grabbed the knife from Bones. With sudden vigor, I slashed the side of Bones' neck as he looked down on me. I leapt towards Bones, my hands grabbing his shoulders as I dropped the knife to the floor. My mouth grasped his neck as blood spilled from the wound down my throat. As I began to draw, I noticed the taste was different from Eric's. With each swallow, a new sensation coursed through me as an electric charge filled the room. Sounds began spilling into my mouth along with Bones' blood. Knowledge. Strength. Faith. My eyes flew open. The room was spinning as I drew deeply. Words on the walls began swirling towards me as more flowed down my throat. Beware. Instinct. Protect. I clutched Bones' body closer to mine. I was intoxicated by his taste, and the rush of blood and power had me in a frenzy. I began to clamp down harder on his neck as I clutched at his back. After a few more seconds, Bones gently tried to push me away. "Enough," he growled. But I didn't want to let go.

Eric tightened his grip on my waist and I finally disengaged my mouth from Bones' neck. "Breathe, Sookie," Eric said. I staggered a little in Eric's arms as the room slowly came into focus. The heavy sensation in my head and throat was replaced by a warmth that ran down my body. As this need overwhelmed me again, Eric scooped me up and bounded out of the room with me in his arms.

**Cat POV**

Call it a newly possessive vampire trait but, as Sookie left the room in Eric's arms, I couldn't help but glare at her. Sure, it was plainly obvious that she only had eyes for her husband, and the two of them were probably seconds away from fucking until the house shook, but it didn't mean I could completely tamp down on the urge to drive a stake through her human heart.

She had that dazed euphoric look on her face that I was more than used to sporting myself, each time Bones and I drank from one another—each time we made love. And she was feeling that now, courtesy of _my_ vampire!

_Geez Cat_, this was no more her doing than it was yours. If you want to glare at anyone, _glare at your husband_.

And suddenly, Sookie and Eric were gone, and Bones and I were alone in Anne Rice's room of words, and I had my opportunity to glare. I wondered if Anne had ever witnessed her husband and another woman going at it in this room. I felt like I just had.

The energy in the room was already palpable, and now that we were alone, it seemed to have doubled. It was like the feeling I get when I'm close to another vampire, the feeling of an electric charge that clings to my skin, as if I'm being alerted to their otherness. Only this went _way_ beyond that. The feeling in this room surpassed even the most bone shattering surge I was used to feeling from other vampires.

If the expression on Bones' face, and the bright beacon of green his eyes had become, were any indication, he felt it too. The only difference was that I was angry. He was _horny_.

I stood just inside the doorway, staring at him as I crossed my arms in that classically pissed off fashion, while he leaned casually against Eric's desk, which sat toward the far end of the room opposite me. The largest case of old books I'd ever seen outside of a library graced the entire wall behind it, climbing to the very top of the room's fourteen foot ceilings.

"No reason to be brassed off, Kitten," he said, his relaxed, but commanding tone reaffirming what I was already keenly aware of.

"Oh, sure. Because you'd have been perfectly pleased with me if I had just exchanged blood with Eric in the same way? _Un_likely."

"Come here, Kitten." His voice was at least an octave lower now.

"Why _should_ I?" Mine was an octave higher.

"Because, luv, I'm either going to take you on this desk, or where you stand. The choice won't be yours in about five seconds."

I swallowed. This was the Bones I knew better than to disobey. This was a hungry Bones. This was the Bones that turned me on more than I even cared to admit. But I just couldn't resist waving a red cape in front of the bull.

"And what if I say you won't be taking me at all? What makes you think you've earned that right?"

He didn't give me five seconds. He didn't give me half a second. But I had been a full vampire now for more than six months, and although I couldn't hope to be half as fast as Bones on his worst day, I still managed to practically teleport myself to the opposite end of the room before he got to me, my back slamming hard against the book case as I found my footing. _Yeah_, I was still getting used to vampire speed.

As he realized he'd missed me, he turned his gaze toward my new location, his half-cocked smile revealing his sharp teeth.

I have fangs too, _buddy_. And I took the moment to remind him of that fact.

"Oh, _Kitten_…" His teasingly lethal laugh was nearly inaudible. "_That_…was a mistake. I've seen _Atonement_."

Before I could say a word, he was on me. And just like Keira Knightley against the bookshelf, the only thing besides Bones I had to cling to, was a wooden sliding ladder that sprawled to the top. _This_ was going to be interesting.

Unlike the movie's heroine, I wasn't wearing a dress. Bones didn't seem to find that too difficult to maneuver around however, and had my jeans torn from my body in a matter of seconds. My blouse followed; buttons flying every which way as he reached behind me and grabbed it from the back in one, swift motion. As my bra followed the mess my blouse had become, his mouth began sucking deeply on one of my nipples.

"Uh…_Bones_…"

"Have you ever been fucked against a bookshelf, Kitten?"

He knew my sexual history; almost one hundred percent of it had involved him. And he damn well knew it had never included a bookshelf. But at that moment, I couldn't speak. I was naked and being pressed with the strength of what was probably one of the world's most powerful vampires. _My_ vampire.

"I know you haven't Kitten, but I'm going to do that to you now, understand? I'm going to fuck you against these old books. Would you like that, luv?"

As his possessive words melted me, my words were there, but weren't coming out clearly. "Uh…I—"

In the next second, his pants were gone, my legs were wrapped around his waist, and he was buried deep inside of me. I might have screamed, I can't be sure, because as he entered me, he bit my throat, and I broke apart; his venom, seeping into me like a drug.

"F_uuuu_ck…_Bones_!" I remember hearing myself cry. And it was several more minutes before my brain could join him again, and we were moving together.

"Oh, Kitten…_that_ was hot. I love it when you scream my name."

"_Huh_...?" I think I said. My voice was there, but ragged; nearly already spent. I could feel my eyelids growing heavy.

He trailed a finger down my jaw, and then back down to the back of my neck. "Oh no you don't, we're just beginning." He said, and pulled out of me.

"Turn around." It was a command I wouldn't have denied him, even if I had been more coherent. As I turned around, he shifted the ladder I had been using as a crutch, and pulled it underneath me, so that I was bent over it as I held onto its sides.

"Yes, just like that. _Beautiful_." He pushed down on the small of my back, as he shifted my legs further apart, and pulled my hips toward him, placing his swollen tip at the entrance of my already very happy, very wet opening.

"Fucking, _perfect_…" he said, but his voice seemed to trail off as he entered me, and the full feeling of my tightness enveloped him.

As he began to move inside of me, I held onto the ladder for dear life, making every effort to remain stationary — well, as stationary as a woman being bent over a ladder doggy style could be. The books on the shelf in front of us, however, had other ideas, and one by one, began to fall from various areas on the shelf.

"Uh..._Bones_..." I tried to yell out the words, _books_ or _falling_, but found that even if I could have managed to form coherent words, they never would have registered to Bones' ears, as he pummeled into me like his undead life depended on it.

So I went with it, as long as they weren't falling on our heads, we'd survive.

After a few minutes, Bones pulled out of me suddenly, turned me around, and all but threw me onto the desk behind us. Before I could say a word, he was on his knees in front of me, with his tongue shoved deep inside.

He was trying to kill me, I was convinced. And it was so _fucking _good!

After a moment, his fangs pierced my clit, and I felt the intense pleasure of his venom seeping into the tiny bundle of nerve endings there. Before I could scream to the gods that I was surely feeling the most intense orgasm of my life, Bones climbed onto me and thrust into me again, simultaneously covering my screams with his mouth.

As he moved within me again, and our mouths continued to delve into each others, I felt the sudden need to possess him, body and soul. Sure, he was _my_ husband, and he was currently inside of _me_, but I needed to free myself of any images my brain kept dragging up of his arms wrapped around Sookie, while they exchanged blood. I needed to bite him. I needed to erase it all, or I wasn't sure if I would be able to face her civilly again. And I really couldn't help but like the girl.

I wasn't sure if it had something to do with the power exchange that had just taken place leading up to this, but when we finally broke our jaw shattering kiss, and simultaneously bit down hard on each others shoulders, all sense of order in my head disappeared, and I felt as if I had just crossed some sort of plane that I never knew existed. Bones felt it too, if his own screams were any indication. We came hard together, and I felt right again.

"Bloody _epic_, Kitten," he said, after several moments. "What _was_ that?" Still buried inside of me, he shifted our bodies so we were facing one another, and began trailing soft kisses down my neck. I could already feel him growing hard again.

"I don't know…but I liked it."

As he began to move, I suddenly snapped out of my daze and remembered where we were.

"Bones…"

"Yes, luv?"

"We need to get dressed, we should stop…I mean, look where we are for crying out loud, I can't believe what we've already done!"

Clearly he wasn't worried about our locale. "Kitten…"

"What?"

"Listen."

With my vampire hearing, I couldn't believe I didn't hear it before. The sounds of Eric and Sookie's lovemaking, very possibly every bit as hot and crazy as our own had been, could be heard clearly from down the hall. Looking at each other like naughty children, neither of us could stifle our giggles at what we heard—or resist what hearing it incited in us. So we didn't.

Another forty-five minutes later, we were dressed. I held my shirt together in the front, with my hands to maintain some spec of modesty. We placed the books back on their shelves and left the office.

**Eric POV **

The second she pulled her lips from his throat, I lifted Sookie into my arms. I wanted her away from Bones, the blood exchange, and in our bed as soon as possible.

I didn't know if the blood exchange had worked and it really didn't matter to me. I examined her face as I held her to my chest, and her eyes burned with pure desire. I didn't know or care if that desire was a result of the bite, the blood, or Bones, all I wanted to do was reclaim Sookie as mine. _Now_.

Whatever magic happened in that room during the blood exchange made the bond between us vibrate unlike anything I ever felt before. I needed to bite her, fuck her, drink her. As I moved quickly down the hall to our bedroom, my only thought was _mine ... mine_ .... I couldn't stop it, my vampire instincts were in charge, telling me to mark her, taste her, make her scream my name, take her body for my own.

Once inside our bedroom, I set her down and waited for her to say something, anything, to me. I controlled my lust for the moment. I didn't want to hurt her or scare her by being too aggressive. She brought her left hand to her neck and gingerly felt for the fang marks left there. Was she thinking of _him _drinking from her, the feel of _his _fangs in her flesh? At that thought, I pulled Sookie to me and kissed her hard, and she met every thrust of my tongue with hers. I could still taste Bones on her lips. My tongue worked over them to wipe out every trace of him.

Sookie broke the kiss, then wrapped her small hands in my hair and brought me closer to her, rubbing the length of her body against mine. Her warm breath was at my ear, and she whispered seductively, "Take off your clothes." Her commanding, yet gentle tone rippled through me like the power we felt in my office. We undressed quickly, and when I reached out to remove her blouse, she moved away from me, teasing me.

"Not yet, Viking", she said.

By the time we were both naked, I could no longer control myself. With vampire speed, I lifted her and pinned her up against the wall by the bed, and she wrapped her legs around me. I thrust myself into her depths without checking her readiness, but she was already warm and wet for me. Her arms were like steel as she clutched my back.

"Eric... Eric. .. Eric..." She shouted with every thrust, and I moved harder and faster each time she said my name. Without warning, I buried my fangs in her neck, and sucked her sweet blood into my mouth. She moaned louder and her legs squeezed me.

She moved with me, riding the wave of her climax, and when she screamed, "More! More! More!" I exploded inside of her. We gradually slowed, and when her panting returned to normal breathing, I threw her onto the bed. She giggled as she bounced on the mattress. My naked body came down on hers, and every place our skin met tingled with pleasure. It felt so right, lying on top of her, my hair framing her face, speaking her name between kisses, tongues teasing, her breath on my skin. I willed myself to slow down this time.

My lips traveled down her throat to her breasts and my tongue and teeth worked on them, alternating between one and then the other, until both nipples were aroused. I bit her breast and Sookie cried out and arched upward, her eyes wide open with surprise by the suddenness of the bite. After a quick draw of her sweet blood from her breast, I licked the wound closed and Sookie moaned, her body moving beneath me.

I returned to her mouth, kissing deeply, touching her favorite places. I whispered in her ear, "Are you all right Sookie?" When I looked back at her, she smiled at me, reached down and placed her hand on me. She stroked me from the base to the tip and whispered back, "I will be."

I closed my eyes, concentrating on the sensations her tiny hands created as she did it again, and again. My body arched toward her and I pleaded, "Harder, Sookie." We moaned in unison, and the sounds filled the room.

I kissed a straight line from her throat to between her breasts, to her belly, right to her mound. My hands were busy, rolling my fingers on a nipple with one hand, as I nudged my way into her folds to caress her with my other hand. Her breath caught in her throat when I slid my fingers inside her, her slippery essence covering my fingers as I caressed her. She raised her hips in rhythm with my strokes, pulling my fingers into her. I could feel the blood rushing there, and I leaned down and slid my fangs gently into her inner thigh. With every bite, I wanted to possess her. I savored her scent as she climaxed, clenching my fingers inside her warm wetness. I pulled my fingers out, and licked her as she relaxed from her orgasm. _She is mine. _I inhaled her sweet smell again and called out "Sookie," as if I was branding her scent with her name. Her hands were threaded in my hair, pulling me towards her.

With a final lick to the wounds left by my bite, I raised myself, and her eyes locked on mine. I wanted to take her slower this time. I knelt between her legs and caressed her thighs from knee to hip, gradually moving them outward, opening her to me. "Beautiful, lover." She bent her knees in readiness and acceptance, opening for me, watching me the entire time, giving herself to _me_.At the sight of her, I licked her folds again, using my tongue to get as deep inside of her as I could._ So sweet_. Her taste was incredible, her pink flesh warm and wet. I told her so, "So wet... so warm ... so beautiful." She raised her hips in time with my mouth, while her hands played with her nipples, her mouth open, her breath ragged, her face flushed. As soon as our eyes met, she panted out, "Please, Eric." I knew what she wanted and I was so ready.

I moved up between her legs and pushed into her with one slow smooth stroke. She whispered, "I love you Eric." I began moving, increasing the strength and intensity with each stroke. She kept up with me, panting, moaning, wanting, arching to meet my thrusts.

My mouth went to her neck and I bit again. She clenched around me seconds after my fangs penetrated her skin, and for a brief second, I wondered if she was thinking about Bones' fangs on her. I drew deeply on her neck, more than once, filling my mouth with her warm blood. She shuddered when I slid my fangs out and looked at her. Still inside her, with her blood on my lips and fangs, I kissed her deeply, smearing the blood on her lips, covering whatever Bones left there. My own climax was close, and I thrust harder, faster, feeling wave after wave of pleasure as I moved within her. Her nails dug into my back, spurring me on. I gave into my own release, groaning uncontrollably as I finished. Finally, my body slowed and relaxed as I covered hers, and her arms went around me, holding me there for a while until I slid off to the side so she could breathe. As I pulled out of her, the bond continued to vibrate between us, in time with the aftershocks of my release.

After a while, I pierced my tongue with my fang, and licked the wounds left from the blood exchange, healing them completely. The only marks on her were _MINE_. Sookie said nothing, but when I finished, she pulled me to her for a kiss.

I held her, my arms around her, wanting her again. We cuddled like that for a while, stroking each other, when Sookie spoke. She placed her hand on the side of my face and looked in my eyes.

"Eric, I'm yours. Forever. Quit it with the 'mine' stuff, okay? You know I don't like it." She paused for a moment to examine my face as she said it and then she smiled, "But you might want to worry about what is going on down in your office." Her face reddened when she said it.

For a brief moment, I wondered how she knew, but then realized that the blood exchange had worked. She had heard my thoughts, and evidently Cat's and Bones' too. Before my brain could find and transmit carefully picked words, I uttered, "Oh, shit!"

I looked at Sookie as she giggled and I wondered how our life might change again.

* * *

_**Were there enough lemons in this chapter for you? If you liked it, please leave us some review crack, and help us spread the word about the story!  
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	3. Chapter 3

**We don't own Charlaine Harris' Sookie and Eric, and we don't own ****Jeaniene Frost's ****Cat and Bones...but we've had a great time playing with them!**

**A/N: A huge thank you from the three of us to ****_FarDareisMai2 _****(yes...she writes the most excellent House of Flesh on Fire ;-p) and Wildcat76 for their extra eyes. Any mistakes left in the story are solely the fault of the authors, not our Fu(kawesome Beta's!**

**We've added a few links in the author profile that go with the story! Enjoy the Party!!**

**Cat POV**

Bones and I had gone shopping earlier in the day, and he had found a tuxedo that seemed to make him even more devastatingly handsome than usual. I didn't know how that was possible, but I was certain that many female, and maybe even a few male, eyes would be on him tonight.

I didn't fare so well, however, and was going to go with a dress I had brought, just in case. It was nothing fancy, but workable; a long, plain black, spaghetti strap, scoop neck dress, I had worn just once to a wedding two years ago. It would have to do.

I was standing in a matching black strapless bra and underwear set, as Bones came out of the bathroom, just as I was taking my dress off the hanger. He was perfect. I just stared for a moment, wondering how a man so beautiful could be mine.

"Kitten, that's quite the ravishing outfit, but do you suppose the king will have any qualms about you wearing it tonight?"

I smiled. "_Fu_nny." I started to unzip the dress.

"Put that drab garment down."

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me. No wife of mine is going to a high class soirée wearing _that _old thing."

Well that knocked me down a peg. "Gee, Bones, what do you expect me to _wear_ then?"

He bent down, and reached under the bed, rising back up with a big, black box.

"This, luv," he said, as he pushed it across the bed toward me.

"What's this?"

"See for yourself."

I gave him a questioning glance, and reached for the box.

Saks was one of the stores we had browsed through in Canal Place near the French Quarter earlier in the evening, but I hadn't seen anything I liked enough to buy, not to mention pay an obscene amount of money for. When I opened the box, I couldn't believe what I was looking at.

"Bones, how did you get this? I don't remember seeing _anything_ like this there."

"I _might_ have had it special ordered for you when I knew we were coming here."

I was speechless. What could I say? I needed to try it on. I remembered the first time Bones had picked out something for me to wear. Of course, that was all part of the process of turning me from novice, frumpy, "Cat the Vampire Slayer" into, "_Kitten_, the Slutty Vampire Slayer".

Now, years later, Bones had grown accustomed not only to what I liked to wear, but what looked good on me. He reaffirmed that fact when I pulled the dress from the box, and got an even better look at it.

"Well, I wasn't happy with your other secrets regarding this trip but," I said, pausing, then holding the dress up to myself, while looking in the floor-length mirror, "this…is amazing, Bones."

It was an Alexander McQueen, and it was _gorgeous_—and no doubt, _expensive_. It was a red and black, silk-satin, floor-length gown, embellished with a feather print. It had a full back with small cap sleeves, and I didn't have to inquire why Bones had chosen a more modest dress for me, he no doubt had my knives in mind. The neck came down in a V, with a draped cowl neck overlay, a stitched V panel at the front waist, a concealed zip-fastening up the back, and came complete with a small train.

"To your liking then, is it?" He was standing immediately behind me.

"I like _very_ much." I turned around, wrapped my arms around his neck, and gave him a soft, tender kiss—which quickly turned into a deep, hard one, as the dress became lodged between us.

"Hey now…watch the dress...and...we…need to get…ready." I said between breaths, while attempting to wiggle out of his grasp.

"Oh, we have time. And you're in your bloody _knickers_!" He reached for my waist, dislodged the dress, threw it over the edge of the bed post, and then pulled me close, his index finger sliding under my panties and tugging. Oh boy, he was _wide_ awake. "You can't honestly expect me to disregard your current attire, can you?"

No. I really couldn't.

**___________________**

One quickie later, I was slipping my new dress on, and Bones was patting out the new wrinkles in his tux with his hand. A quick finger comb through my hair--which I had opted to leave down--and I would be ready to go. Hopefully my new flush would be mistaken for blush, not a recent romp. Then again, did I really care?

Now, I just needed shoes…

"Shit."

"What's the matter?" Bones asked, as he adjusted his bow tie in the mirror.

"These." I held up the shoes I had brought to wear with my plain Jane dress; they were silver. Not that they would have necessarily gone all that well with the other dress either—hey, I never claimed to be a fashionista—but, they were absolutely _wrong_ for the dress Bones gave me.

"Oh bugger, you're absolutely right! Those dreadful things will not do. Not one bit."

"So what am I supposed to do?"

He looked at me and shrugged. "Well, better luck next time, luv. See you after the party, I suppose," he said, and then left the room, leaving me to gape in shock.

"Bones?" Nothing.

"Bones!" I yelled, again, much louder, and much more irritated. Still nothing. "You have _got_ to be kidding—"

I stopped speaking when I saw him suddenly appear in the doorway again, a pair of the most amazing black, lizard-print, strappy heels that I had ever seen, dangled from his fingers like a kitten's play thing.

"You didn't think I'd forget the Jimmy Choos, luv?" He smiled. "Five inches too much?"

I gave him a coy smile. "You _know _I can take much more than that."

"Kitten," he looked at his watch, "now we definitely _don't_ have time for that."

No. We didn't. _Unfortunately_.

**_______________________**

Bones and I walked the three or four blocks from Bones' house to Fangtasia. It was early evening, but the tourists and revelers were already crawling the streets of the Quarter, drinks and gift shop bags in hand. Musicians stood on street corners, artists were set-up on the sidewalks painting caricatures for tourists, and shops and bars had their doors opened as more music wafted out onto the streets. We passed a few palm and Tarot card readers who offered to see our futures. Bones looked at me and rolled his eyes. _Yeah, been there, done that._

As we approached Fangtasia, I was struck by how imposing the old building was. It was situated on a corner so it fronted two French Quarter streets. Its exterior was grey stone and it was three stories tall with arched doors and windows. Bones explained that it was purported to be the most haunted building in the country. But what were a few dozen extra ghosts in a city literally bursting at the seams with dead spirits?

The vampire bar was on the ground floor. The upper second and third floors were offices for Eric's kingdom and businesses. As we entered the building, we were greeted by Alcide Herveaux, a werewolf, who was head of the king's security in New Orleans. He showed us the security detail, building layout, and explained how every guest would be checked with a hand-held metal detector in the vestibule before they entered the club.

As we were talking to Alcide, I caught a glimpse of a familiar face inside the club —one I had invited.

Bones did as well.

"Bloody_ hell_, Kitten! What's _he_ doing here?"

I started to laugh, but was shocked by the sight of another person well-known to me.

"And with my _Mother?_!"

**Eric POV**

I once overheard Sookie refer to my Dracula Night party as a case of hero worship gone crazy. She was probably right about that. Even with the death threats hanging over our heads tonight, I was still most excited about hosting my first Dracula Night party as King of Louisiana.

I had long given up my dream of having the Prince of Darkness attend my party, so the night had become an excuse to have a spectacular formal affair. My Dracula Night parties in Shreveport were legendary, in part thanks to Sookie, since she had staked a Dracula poseur at one of them. That little incident cemented the party's reputation as the vampire event of the year.

Expectations were even higher now with a larger venue, Fangtasia New Orleans, and a new position of authority to uphold. That would have made me anxious enough, without this death threat business added into mix.

In any case, canceling was not an option at this late date, and there was not enough time to do much more than put extra body guards and security into place. After discussing the situation with Alcide Herveaux, we agreed that Sookie should not be left alone the night of the party, and I asked her to stay by me or Pam all evening as an added precaution. Sookie was not happy about the restriction, but I thought maybe I could make it up to her with a little gift. While Sookie was a little more accepting of my gifts now, I didn't want her to think I was buying her cooperation. But in truth, the gift wasn't a payoff or an obligation, it was just something I wanted to give her to see her face light up. I found that when I coordinated my gift giving with a significant event like tonight, she was more likely to accept it without issue. I shopped for Sookie's gift right before the threats were made known, and after I had made Pam tell me the color of the dress.

Because it would be a late night for us, Sookie and I slept until sundown. Most days, Sookie would get up a few hours before me, but tonight, Sookie stayed in bed until I rose, giving us the opportunity to make love before we had to shower and start getting ready. Last night's blood exchange had us both feeling rather frisky and we weren't complaining about it.

We tested Sookie's new abilities once we discovered them last night. It turned out that her range was similar to her human telepathy, and it also helped if there was physical contact. Not that Sookie would be touching anyone but me tonight. I called Bones and gave him a status report on the power exchange, and recommended that we continue with the receiving line plan and just leave it at that since it was too late to put together a different tactic. Using Sookie's telepathy had been a long shot anyway.

After we finished our shower, Sookie pushed me out into the bedroom to get dressed while she completed her hair and makeup in the bathroom, preferring to do her own instead of bringing in a stylist to help her. Even though I tried to get her to take advantage of the fact we could hire a stylist, I secretly liked that she tried to keep our personal life simple.

I pulled my classic, custom made Armani tuxedo out of the garment bag. There was a red satin tie to go with the tux. I dressed and when I had everything on but my tie and jacket, and there still was no sign of Sookie, I knew I had to move things along.

I moved closer to the bathroom door and started talking to the closed door.

"Lover, how much longer will you be? It is getting late and we should be getting to Fangtasia soon. Can you come out and help me with my tie?" Of course, I could tie it myself, but it was much more to my liking to have Sookie's delicate hands do it.

"I'll be right out Eric, I'm just putting my dress on now."

A few minutes later as I was brushing my hair, I heard the bathroom doorknob, and I turned around. My mouth gaped open. I could tell right away that it was a designer dress. Sookie looked like a queen. Really. She smiled a big smile, obviously happy about my reaction. Pam and Sookie had gone shopping one evening and I was forbidden to even peek at the dress, although I did get Pam to divulge what color jewelry might match it. Sookie wore a crimson colored evening gown that accentuated her breasts and beautiful neck. Her blonde hair was curled and hung down around her neck with tighter ringlets framing her face. I was speechless.

As she approached me, she asked coyly, "Eric, you like?" She spun around and I noticed she had on sparkly red "fuck-me" sandals, complete with a four or five inch heel. Images of her wearing nothing but those sandals popped right into my head. I didn't know how she would make it through the night with them on, but they looked terrific on her. As she came closer, I pulled her to me and she laughed, placing one hand in mine and another on my shoulder, as if we were dancing. I held her close and inhaled. There was no fear. She trusted me. She was simply beautiful.

I held her close, and suddenly, I had a flash back to our first Dracula Night party together. Her dress had been pink and we had danced a slow dance together, even though we were not a couple at the time. In those days, I wasn't sure what I felt in regard to Sookie, except that she both infuriated and excited me. My body moved naturally with hers as I spun her around our bedroom and I whispered, "Lover, do you remember our first Dracula Night party?"

"How could I forget —didn't I stake a vampire that night?" She giggled a little when she said it.

"Yes, but actually, I was thinking something else. Do you remember what I said to you as we finished dancing?"

She looked up at me, and wearing a genuine smile, she laughed and said, her voice low and sexy, "Yes, I do. And tonight there is nothing else but you and me. Even though we will have hundreds of guests, in my heart, there will only be you and me."

I don't know if she had really remembered or if she just picked it out of my mind, but it didn't matter. She reached up and kissed me softly on the lips and I kissed her back, being careful not to smear her make-up. Knowing what tonight might bring, I held her for a moment before letting her go and noticed that my bite marks from our love making last night were still visible on her neck.

I fingered them gently and asked, "Lover, do you want me to heal these? "

"No Eric, let's just leave them." I nodded and smiled. She was choosing to keep my mark. I wondered if she knew such a small gesture meant everything to me.

Checking my watch, we were right on schedule. Sookie took a quick look at me and automatically picked up my tie and began to tie it. I waited patiently, taking in her delicious scent, enjoying the feel of her fingers at my throat. Once she finished with my tie, my tuxedo jacket went on and she smoothed the jacket over my shoulders.

"Looks like you are ready, your Majesty," she said, before she gathered up the few items that would fit in her purse.

I reached inside my tuxedo jacket and removed a long, slender box.

"I might be ready, lover, but you are still a bit under-dressed. Perhaps this might help. And since I want you by my side all night, I'll get to enjoy seeing you wear it."

I handed the box to her, and watched as she opened it. She gasped as she opened the box and that breath told me what I needed to know.

"Oh, Eric," she whispered as she looked between me and the ruby and diamond pendant necklace on a elegant white gold chain. I expected her to tell me it was too expensive or too much or too _something_.

"It's beautiful, perfect actually. Help me put it on."

I hung the chain around her delicate throat and when she turned around to show me, the ruby hung at just the right spot, accentuating her cleavage. Perfect, is right. She gave me a tender thank you kiss after looking at herself in the mirror.

But I wasn't quite done with the jewelry just yet. When shopping for jewelry, it was nearly impossible to purchase just one piece, since I always find more than one that I like. Not having seen Sookie's dress, I wasn't sure I had selected the right necklace and then another piece caught my eye. It was a white gold diamond encrusted bracelet adorned with a fleur de lis. When I couldn't decide between the pendant and the bracelet, I bought both. I pulled a second box from my jacket.

"Lover, one more thing... I couldn't decide between the necklace you are wearing and a bracelet that caught my eye, so I thought I'd get both ..."

"Eric, now you are just trying to pick a fight, aren't you?" Her eyes sparkled when she said it, teasing me.

She opened the jewelers box and looked inside. The diamonds in the piece glittered against the white gold and red background.

"It's really lovely, Eric. The fleur de lis is considered a symbol for royalty, right? Do you think I could wear both tonight? "

"Absolutely. That would please me very much."

I helped her fasten the bracelet to her wrist. The diamond and ruby jewelry completed her outfit for the evening and she looked like a queen. My queen. It was getting late, so as we made our last minute checks, I went over the plan for the evening again.

"Sookie, if you hear anything suspicious, send the information to Bones and he and Cat will take it from there. Just stay by my side as much as possible tonight. If you need to leave for any reason, take Pam with you. Do not go anywhere alone. Please do as I say tonight, and do not tempt the fates, okay lover?"

Sookie sighed and replied, "Well, okay. I'm not saying I like it, but I'll do it. Now we better get going or we will be really late for our own party."

And minutes later, we were in the limo heading toward Fangtasia.

The limo ride from our royal residence to Fangtasia was quiet and uneventful. When we pulled up in front of the club, I scanned the area, looking for the extra guards I had ordered, thinking that they had better be in place or heads would roll, literally. If the hit men did come, I was ready for a fight. When everything checked out, I took Sookie's hand in mine. I was determined that we would have a fabulous night in spite everything. But I could feel Sookie's nervousness growing without having to probe the bond as we approached the club. When the limo finally stopped, I asked the driver to give us a moment. The driver stepped out of the limo and stood at the rear of the vehicle.

"Sookie, look at me."

She turned to me and gave me a weak smile.

"Lover, we are going to mingle with our guests, dance, and have a good time." I paused. "Do you remember what you said to me at home? It is just you and me tonight. Just keep remembering that and all will be well. It is a party, so let us have some fun."

Sookie considered that for a moment, took a deep breath and gave me a real smile.

"Okay, I'm ready, Your Majesty."

Sometimes she could make that sound so sweet. I leaned down and kissed her, keeping my lips on hers until she had to draw a breath.

A valet opened my door and I stepped out and turned to give my hand to Sookie. With her dress and heels, it took a while for her to shimmy along the seat of the limo and get out of the vehicle. Her new jewels sparkled and I would be the envy of many vampires tonight, just the way I liked it. She took my arm and we approached the entrance of Fangtasia. As we neared the door, Pam came out to the entry vestibule to greet us. As was her custom for this party, she was dressed in a woman's tuxedo, completely in black. The contrast with her pale skin and blonde hair was striking.

"Your Majesty," she bowed her head and then continued,"everything is in place as requested. The receiving area is ready and you may start receiving your guests. There are many vampires in attendance and it will be more difficult to secure the area should we wait."

Pam was my second-in-command and tonight she was in full protection mode.

Because Pam and I had fought together many times, I knew she would not say much more here in the open, and that she was keenly aware of her duties this evening. Pam was in charge of keeping an eye on Sookie tonight.

A small secure receiving area had been set up inside the club. Guards were positioned all around the area and a queue had been setup to direct the guests as they lined up.

"Pam, have our special guests arrived?" Pam knew that Cat and Bones would be participating in our security tonight, and she also knew it would not be prudent to identify them in any way.

"Yes, Eric."

Good. Now for Sookie. She still had her hand on my arm, listening to Pam and I discuss the preparations.

"Lover, are you ready to receive our guests?"

Sookie and I had discussed that she might be a bit overwhelmed with her upgraded telepathy in a room full of vampires. I suggested to Sookie that she put up her shields for our walk across the club, and while no vampire here would dare touch my wife, Sookie was about to find out just how much power she received in that exchange last night. She had little time to experiment with reading vampires, so she would have to rely on her experiences with human minds. After all of her years dealing with human telepathy, I was confident she could handle it.

Sookie placed her hand on my arm and said, "I'm ready Eric." I smiled at her and once again ran my eyes over her body appreciating how beautiful she looked in that dress and her jewels. She might have called it a leer. She smiled back at me, a real smile, and seconds later plastered on her "other" smile. We turned and left the vestibule and slowly started moving through the parting crowd to the receiving area.

As Sookie and I made our way through the crowd, I scanned the entire room, looking for the additional bodyguards I ordered, and searching for Cat and Bones and their position in the room. Even though I was planning on enjoying this party, I would be alert.

**Sookie PO****V**

Fangtasia New Orleans was much classier than Fangtasia Shreveport. Eric liked the kitschiness of Shreveport and he would have been happy to continue that décor here, but we weren't in a strip shopping mall in Northern Louisiana anymore, for Christ's sake. And Eric was now Vampire King of Louisiana, not just Sheriff.

Eric came into a lot of money and property when he ascended the throne, and he had inherited this building, the LaLaurie Mansion, which had been built almost two hundred years ago. New Orleans didn't need another tacky bar in the Quarter, especially one representing the vampire king. So I put my foot down. Gone was the red and black décor of Shreveport. Here, the walls were covered in soothing purples and golds. I had found vintage prints, collector items, and rare books, all on vampire lore to adorn the walls and nooks. Amelia and Octavia had moved back to New Orleans right before Eric and I did, and they helped me decorate the building, including our offices on the second and third floors.

But even more satisfying to me was a transformation that wasn't immediately apparent to the naked eye. Although it had always been a beautiful building, the LaLaurie Mansion had a gruesome history. Slaves had been tortured and murdered here, and it led to many tormented spirits haunting the floors. Very few humans wanted to step foot in the building. The first time I entered after Eric came into possession of it, I was overcome with the heaviness of so much grief and anguish from the ghosts trapped there. I convinced Eric that something needed to be done. So, Octavia and Amelia did various rituals in and around the grounds which enabled the poor souls to travel to their next after-lives. Now, whenever I entered the building, I felt a lightness and ease that I found even more pleasurable than the sight of the beautiful renovations we had done.

When Eric and I arrived at Fangtasia and got out of the limo, I turned and looked at him under the street light. God, he was beautiful. The ends of his blond hair just grazed his shoulders, and the custom-made tux was delicious on his Viking physique. He looked admiringly at me as well, in my flowing crimson gown and his thoughts were... well, his thoughts made me want to turn around, and drag him back into the limo for a quickie.

As we stood gazing at each other, I reflected on all Eric and I had been through in the last few years. The Fairy and Vampire Wars had made me realize how much Eric meant to me, and I to him. Eric had always been there for me, even if I had not been aware of it at the time. This, and the thought of losing him, was what made me finally acknowledge my feelings for him. I accepted our vampire marriage, and when Eric became king, I agreed to move to New Orleans to be by his side. It was quite a change, going from Bon Temps cocktail waitress to Consort of the Vampire King of Louisiana, Nevada, and Arkansas.

"Some night," Eric had whispered, "there's going to be nothing else but you and me." That was years ago at my first Dracula Night Party. Eric and I weren't a couple then, but he said that to me after we had danced together. What struck me at the time wasn't so much the "you and me" but the "some night." Those two words took hold in my heart, and I wrestled with them for years. Eric's nights were his days, so "some _night_" meant "some _day." _Some day, we would be together. It was Eric's promise of a future for us. A future that for a while, I stubbornly fought. But, now that we were in the midst of it, the "nothing else but you and me" just fell into place. We had servants, staff, and security almost constantly afoot, but because we were together, there really was only Eric and me.

The crowd outside Fangtasia was calling us forward, and it snapped me out of my reverie. I plastered on my smile, put up my shields, and took Eric's arm. As we walked together and smiled for the photographers and well-wishers, I felt like a princess. Then I remembered the potential for disaster tonight and wondered if I wasn't more like Cinderella, and if everything would come crashing down at midnight. We were at Eric's annual Dracula Night Party, the first one at Fangtasia New Orleans, and there were people here trying to kill us.

We entered the club and Pam approached, dressed in a black tux. Her eyes scanned me in my dress with my ample cleavage on full display, and I caught a glimpse of her thoughts. _Wow, _I was taken aback. Pam and I were friends, but the image she had of me at that moment was decidedly not so buddy-buddy. I looked at Eric, and he smiled. He had _no_ idea! How was I going to get through this evening if I was stunned by _even_ Pam's lascivious thoughts? I braced myself, as Eric had a few words with Pam. When he was finished, I took Eric's arm again, and we made our way to the back of the club by our seats. This was the beginning of the receiving line, and it was already long. _Oh, boy._

I stood by Eric and we began greeting our guests. Vampire after vampire walked by, taking my hand out of respect for my human etiquette, and bowing to Eric as a vampire sovereign. Each time I shook a hand, I received a frosty flash of what was on the owner's mind. This could have overwhelmed me, but I was prepared, and I was also using the sight of my beautiful new diamond bracelet from Eric as a distraction from each cold snap to my brain.

The receiving line continued for a good while. My feet were getting sore from standing in my five inch high heels, and I was getting frustrated. The vampires' thoughts were revealing nothing more hazardous than wanting to taste and fuck me.

A vampire grabbed my hand, and before I had a chance to see the owner, I heard a distinct, _Kitty, kitty … yum!_

My eyes shot up to a familiar face. In a powder blue tuxedo, no less.

"Hello, Miss Sookie. Don't you look so pretty. Hi, Mr. Eric."

"Hi, Bubba. So good to see you," I said.

I don't think he understood protocol, feline or vampire, _whatsoever_. But I was still really glad to see him.

"Isn't this place so nice? But I liked the other Fangtasia better."

"Thanks, Bubba," I laughed.

_Well, of course you did, Bubba, dear. Cause it was tacky!_

From one side of the room, I heard a cockney guffaw. I snorted audibly in response.

"Thanks for coming tonight, Bubba." Eric was being polite, but trying to move him along. Bubba was tying up the line, and it was still long.

"Ok, Mr. Eric, Miss Sookie," Bubba took my hand and kissed it,and went on his way to fetch his next meal, I'm sure. Eric looked at me and smiled. Yeah, some things never change.

As the line continued, Octavia and Amelia approached. It was nice to see more friendly faces. Amelia looked pretty in a lavendar gown, and Octavia was divine in emerald green

"Thank, y'all, for coming," I gave them kisses on both cheeks, as did Eric.

"The club turned out so nicely with the renovations, Sookie. I'm so pleased," Amelia smiled.

"I owe it all to you two. I don't know what I would have done without y'all," I said.

"We enjoyed working on the decorating with you, Sookie. And best of luck tonight, my dear," Octavia said with a knowing look. What had she heard? Before I could ask, or take a peek into her thoughts, Eric was thanking them for coming, and they were moving on.

I turned to look down the line again, and out stepped a beautful ghoul with a mocha complexion and almond shaped eyes.

"Sookie, this is Marie Laveau, also known as Majestic. But she's really 'The Queen of New Orleans,'" Eric explained.

"I'm more commonly known as the 'Voodoo Queen' for those who don't know me as a ghoul," Marie spoke with a lilting Creole accent.

"So nice to meet you, Marie. You are quite legendary here," I said shaking her hand.

"You're getting quite a reputation yourself Sookie, you _and _Eric," she smiled, and with a bow of her head, she sauntered off.

_Well, that was interesting. _This party was certainly drawing in notables from New Orleans' supernatural community. Eric saw the surprised expression on my face, and he smiled and kissed my hand. I grinned back at him, then braced myself as we turned to once again face the receiving line which thankfully, was starting to dwindle.

After a little while longer, the line came to an end. Although frustrated I hadn't uncovered anything, I was relieved. Having had glimpses into vampire minds, I can honestly say that humans' thoughts were more generally _debased_. Vampires were pretty basic in their needs: feeding and fucking. Humans required much more to survive. I guess it's the whole mortality thing.

Eric held my hand, and led me over to our thrones. When Eric first became King of Louisiana, I thought the thrones were ridiculous, way too opulent for my tastes. The chairs in Fangtasia Shreveport were less obtrusive, but they served the same purpose: to enthrall vermin and subjects alike.

We sat down and someone brought me a glass of wine. _Finally!_ I drank it down pretty quickly, as Eric whispered to me that we were expected to dance next. During our reception line, the band had been playing mostly soft Dixieland Jazz music like "Basin Street Blues," but then it picked up the pace with "Mardi Gras in New Orleans," and people poured onto the dance floor.

Eric looked at me, _Nothing? _I just shook my head. Nope, not one assassin-minded thought in the bunch. Unless you count biting and fucking your wife, but I certainly wasn't going to share _that_ with Eric now.

I scanned the room for Bones and Cat. I saw a flash of green in the back of the room and I heard Bones' reply to my questioning gaze.

_Checking out some blokes who just got here, Sookie. And don't be so knackered, luv. The night is still young._

_Yeah, that's what worries me, Bones. _I nodded to him with a concerned look.

I caught an angry glare from the red-headed vampire next to him, and I heard the crack too.

_Better watch it, Blondie. That's MY husband you're talking to._

Under different circumstances, I might actually like Cat. I understood her possessive nature. I could get pretty jealous over my own husband, on occasion.

Speaking of whom, the man himself was now standing in front of me, bent over with his hand out to me and leering at my cleavage. When I heard his thoughts, they made me blush.

"Would you like to dance, My Lover?"

I smiled at him. He was being charming and showing off. Well, he was king after all. I stood, placing my smaller hand into his, as he guided me out to the dance floor.

The crowd parted, and we made our way to the center of the floor. The band started playing "Since I Met You Baby." Eric twirled me around on the dance floor, swooping me up, and back down again in his arms. He was a wonderful dancer, and I loved cutting the rug with him. When we finished, the crowd clapped and cheered.

Eric and I bowed, and we began to make our way back to our seats when Sam appeared.

"Sookie, may I have the next dance?" Sam asked. He looked so handsome in his tux, and scruffy hair. I was thrilled to see him. I looked over at Eric, who was thinking of awful doggie tricks he wanted to play on Sam.

"Yes, thank you, Sam. Eric won't mind. Will you, sweetie? Sam has come all this way from Bon Temps to see us." I was pleading with my eyes, hoping Eric would relax, and go mingle or something.

For a second, I thought my husband, The King, was going to make a scene on the dance floor over a shifter. I could hear him reasoning things out in his mind. He looked into my eyes, and realized I was listening.

"No, of course not, my love. I'll see you after this song." He kissed me on the cheek, and walked off.

The music started up again. _"Jambalaya, crawfish pie, filé gumbo..." _I looked over the crowd, and saw Pam walking out the front door, but I was distracted by the fast pace of the music, and trying to keep up with Sam.

"Sam, it's so good to see you. How is everyone in Bon Temps?"

"Still the same, Sookie. Arlene's married again. And Jason's in and out of Merlotte's as usual. But I'm sure he fills you in on the local gossip."

_Jason_. I hadn't talked to my brother in some time. He had been unhappy when I decided to leave Bon Temps and marry Eric. Even after Eric became king, Jason was still mad. I had invited him to tonight's party, and he didn't RSVP. No word. Nothing. Just as I was sadly trying to remember the last time I had talked to my brother, Eric's assistant, Bobby Burnham, walked up.

"Excuse me, _Your Highness_, but there is _situation_ with your brother, Jason. Please go to His Majesty's office phone. Upstairs."

"What? Jason's hurt?" Bobby bowed and walked away. He didn't give me a clue one way or another. I never liked that guy and he never liked me. Sam gave me a sad look and I thanked him for the dance. As I was walking away, I heard him call after me but I was in too much of a hurry. I bypassed the elevators and ran up the two flights of stairs to the third floor. I was in five inch high heels and a flowing gown, but I maneuvered myself pretty well and flung open the stairwell door on the top floor of the building.

As I ran down the hall to Eric's office, all kinds of Jason scenarios were running through my head. What had he gotten himself into now? Jason pissed off some were-panthers and was attacked. Jason fooled around with a woman whose husband discovered them in bed. Jason and Hoyt drank too much and got in a car wreck. The possibilities of Jason and trouble were endless and not unprecedented.

I quickly approached Eric's office door, and opened it. As I headed straight for the phone on Eric's desk, I became aware of a gnarling buzz in the room. I hadn't turned on the lights, I was just using the hall lights as illumination in the room. The words, _I'm an idiot! _had barely crossed my mind when the door was pushed closed. I spun around in the darkness desperately trying to read whoever was in the room. It dawned on me, as I heard, "Hey, Babe."

_What the hell__?!_


	4. Chapter 4

**We don't own Charlaine Harris' Sookie and Eric, and we don't own Jeaniene Frost's Cat and Bones...but we've had a great time playing with them!**

**A/N: A huge thank you from the three of us to **_**FarDareisMai2 **_**(yes...she writes the most excellent House of Flesh on Fire ;-p) and Wildcat76 for their extra eyes. Any mistakes left in the story are solely the fault of the authors, not our Fu(kawesome Beta's!**

**If you want to know a little more about the three crazy authors behind this story, there are links to our personal FF profiles in the NorCrisp76 profile.  
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****Eric POV**

I dipped down, and gave Sookie a quick kiss on the cheek while inhaling her scent before handing her over for her dance with the shifter. I would enjoy covering his scent left on her with my own later in the evening. I glanced around the club and the party seemed to be going quite well. Most of the guests were dancing or mingling and there was plenty of blood, as well as food for the human guests.

I moved from table to table, greeting my guests. The party was in full swing and the band was playing a rather lively set of songs. The security guards around the perimeter of the room were keeping careful watch on the activities. A smile crossed my lips as I realized we had pulled it off; another successful party for the Prince of Darkness. Even though I did not personally know all the vampires in attendance, I made note of quite a few unfamiliar faces, but saw that Herveaux and his Weres were watching them, so I continued to conduct my business. I looked forward to the business contacts and advantages that I could garner politically at these types of events. I prided myself with not missing the opportunity. I turned my attention back to the Area 3 vampires that were petitioning me with business contracts.

Mingling with the guests did not present a security problem. Guests were forbidden to have any weapons at the party, and each person was checked as they entered the party by Herveaux's security forces. My closest advisors, Pam, Thalia and Maxwell Lee were, however, armed with knives, and my own weapons were hidden in strategic places throughout the club and offices. It never hurts to be prepared. If the vampire hit men did make an attempt, the security guards would mobilize and retrieve the weapons that were hidden throughout the room. The way it was going tonight, I didn't think that would be happening.

The music ended, and I looked for Sookie, but I couldn't pick her out of the crowd easily. The club was a sea of red and black and it was not surprising that I didn't see Sookie or Pam in the crowd. I guessed they were together and so I resumed chatting with the guests. After my instructions earlier, I was confident that Sookie would be with Pam, so I wasn't concerned.

I could see Bones watching the room from the left, and another glance told me that Cat was positioned on the opposite wall, both of them watching the party and neither of them looking at all concerned. Again, that wasn't a surprise—vampires with _their _experience knew how to be vigilant without being obvious. Cat was sure to have her knives on her tonight. I had heard much about the Red Reaper's reputation prior to her being turned, and figured that her skills in using the knives had only increased when she became a vampire. Perhaps I could talk her into a demonstration before they left New Orleans.

As the band began to play another number, I was talking to Maxwell Lee and Thalia when I felt a jolt of fear in the bond. I snapped my head up and looked around the club, trying to find Sookie and Pam. Why didn't I see them? In the few seconds it took to scan the club, I was hit with another wave of distress from Sookie. I started to move through the crowd more quickly, looking for an opening to get a better vantage point as well as find Herveaux. I should have been able to find Sookie by now — something was wrong, very wrong.

As soon as I cleared the crowd, I had a better view of the party and I noticed a female vampire coming toward me very quickly. I looked behind me thinking that she was approaching someone standing to my back, and in that instant, felt a sharp pain, at the same time anger flared in the bond. It all happened so fast that I was stunned for a moment as the female vampire continued moving quickly past me, as if nothing had happened. In the next moment, I heard a scream.

"The King has been stabbed!" Someone in the room shouted and all hell broke loose. The party goers started rushing toward the doors and the club was in chaos. I finally registered the pain in my back with the attack that was underway. I looked around for my security forces, in order to retrieve my sword that I knew was hidden in the room, when I noticed there were more vampires in the room with cell phones coming toward me in groups. How many were there? I needed a weapon. The security guard closest to the receiving area retrieved a sword from the platform and yelled to me.

"Your sword, your Highness!"

Even with the pain in my back, I managed to turn and catch my sword in midair. It was a good thing too, because there were three vampires approaching me with silver knives.

With the first knife still in my back, I swung my sword at them. It sliced into the vampire closest to me and he was suddenly headless and flaking in front of me. I didn't have time to revel in the feel of the kill as the two remaining vampires continued toward me. Just as I was raising my sword again, I saw Cat's knives fly across the room and straight into both eyes of one of the vampires. The third vampire quickly stepped over the piles of flaking vampires and again, my sword did the job of severing his head from his body. With every stroke of my sword, my fight instinct surged. I had to find Sookie. I had a split second to look around, and saw that most of the party goers were pressed against the walls of the club and being herded out of the room by Herveaux and his security forces. The knife in my back was starting to burn me. I wished I could get it out, but I couldn't risk the distraction just then. Sookie was in trouble and I needed to put these bastards down and get to her.

I saw Bones slashing his way towards me, taking down another two vampires that were headed my way. There seemed to be another altercation at the back of the club, but I couldn't see it as even more vampires came at me in waves. Thalia was making her way toward me, pushing against the crowd using her knife to slow down the vampire hit men. Maxwell Lee took a defensive position and tried to disarm as many of the hit men he could through shear force. How many were there? Two more vampires tried to throw their knives at me, and within seconds, one vampire was felled when Cat released her own knives into his back and I took care of the other with my sword. By the time the last wave of attackers approached, between Maxwell, Thalia, Cat, Bones, and the security guards, they had no chance. Cat ran over to me and pulled something from my back, examining it before handing it to me. I had never seen such a weapon.

**Cat POV**

Bones and I had been scanning the room, in between periodic dance numbers. I wasn't a great dancer anyway and, being distracted by searching for the hit men while attempting to keep up with Bone's flawless dance steps, was nearly impossible. By the time we stopped, and took separate places across the room, I was beginning to wonder if maybe Don had gotten a bogus tip about the hit on Eric and Sookie. Then again, there's a reason I never let my guard down. The reason on this particular night came by way of a shout.

"The King has been stabbed!" I heard someone scream from the direction opposite me. I could barely make out Eric in the center of the room, as a sea of red and black began running about the room like a hill of ants someone had just poked with a stick.

When I finally got my focus on Eric, I saw one of the guards nearby throw him a sword. Knowing that Eric at least had a weapon now, I could take care of the vampires approaching him. The dress I wore tonight was beautiful. It was elegant, and exotic. It was also quite flexible, and covered my entire back, and legs for a reason. Crisscrossing my arms, and reaching behind my shoulders, I pulled out two knives from an arsenal I had strapped to my body, and in less than a second, they were protruding from the eyes of a vampire that had been running toward Eric.

It wasn't a kill shot of course, but if there was one place on the body I knew distracted a vampire from his original intention to kill me—or in this case, _to kill Eric_—it was his eyes. There's just not a lot you can do without your sight.

I reached down, and removed another knife I had strapped to my thigh and, plowed it through the back, and directly into the heart of another vamp coming straight at Eric. A simple twist of the wrist, and then I _had _my kill shot. As soon as I pulled the knife back from the already decomposing body, I saw Knife Eyes barreling toward me. What luck I thought with a smile, as I stabbed and twisted one of my knives into his heart with one hand, and removed the knives from his eyes with the other. How thoughtful of him to bring them back to me!

After retrieving my knives, I looked toward Eric again. I saw two of his people moving toward him, a tall black vampire, and a female vampire. Both were pushing people out of the way in an effort to get to Eric. It appeared that they had weapons, though I couldn't make out exactly what. They seemed to have little problem taking care of a handful of the hit men. Looking around quickly, I saw Bones handling his own but, when I saw Eric again, it was clear that he was still struggling, even with his reinforcements. The reason why was still sticking out of his back.

When I finally reached Eric, I pulled the offending object out, and took a moment to stare at it. What the _fuck_?

"So this is how they got weapons in," I said, handing it to Eric as he turned to me. The knife was sticking out of the end of an ordinary looking cell phone. It was _literally_, a cell phone switch blade. Clever.

**Sookie POV**

Bobby Burnham had walked up to me while I was dancing with Sam, and said there was a "situation" with Jason. I ran frantically upstairs to Eric's office. Now I was standing in the dark room, but I wasn't alone.

_What the hell?!_

"Quinn, what are you doing here? And for God's sakes, turn on a light!"

A small table light switched on. My eyes blinked at the sudden brightness until I saw the figure of my former boyfriend, and were-tiger, sitting on a couch by the door.

"I'm here to protect you, Babe."

"Stop calling me that! And what do you mean by 'protect' me?"

"There are hit men downstairs. You were going to be caught up in the fighting so I sent Bobby with a ruse to get you away so you'd be safe with me."

"Safe with _you_?!" I was almost screaming at this point. My heart was racing. "I need to go down and get Eric!"

I was heading towards the door when Quinn leapt up and stood in front of me, his hands on my shoulders.

"That Viking is as good as finally dead," he snorted, "as much as an undead man can be. And I'm not letting you go down there because they'll kill you too. I'm not losing my last chance with you, Sookie." Quinn was looking down at me with a determined grimace on his face. My breathing was fast and my thoughts were in a whirl.

"What do you mean 'as good as dead'? What have you done, Quinn?!"

I started twisting away from him, desperately trying to get to the door, but he had his arms around me, and my face was in his chest, and I could barely move. I started scratching and kicking at him, using all my strength to get to the door. If I could just get to the _damn _door! My single-minded focus was briefly interrupted by a pain in my back, and feelings of urgency and anger across the bond. _Eric._ My thoughts were pulled back into the room by Quinn's growl.

"No use fighting me, Babe. I'm not letting you leave until that bane of a vampire is finally killed, and the fighting is over."

"Oh, _yeah_?" I spat in his face. "I don't know what you think you're doing, you_ fucking asshole_, but you will _NEVER_ have a chance with me! And if Eric is killed, I will disembowel you myself." And with that, I turned my face, and with as much force as my jaw and human teeth would allow, I bit into his upper arm.

Quinn howled. I latched on harder with my teeth, surprising myself by my increased strength. _Bones' blood has come in handy for something_, I thought. With my new vigor, I tugged like a hyena until I felt a blow to my head, and everything went black.

Shouting and shuffling sounds came in waves. Everything was dark again. Then, there was a thick, salty taste in my mouth, as the room slowly came back into view.

Through my haze, I could see Quinn wrapped up tightly in duct tape, limp on the floor. And I was on Eric's office couch, in the arms and lap of a vampire I had never seen before.

"What...?"

I tried to speak but I realized my throat was thick with vampire blood.

"Who are you, where's Eric? Oh, my god, Eric!" I cried. The words came out as a gurgle.

The vampire had dark hair that was parted to the side, a tight beard, and dark, piercing eyes that were twinkling.

"Not to worry my dear. Your husband will be fine. He, Cat, Bones, and the security team are taking care of things. Even Justina has joined the fray," the vampire chuckled.

_Who's Justina?_

I could hear loud noises coming from downstairs, some yelling, and things crashing to the floor. I could still feel a pain in my back. Was that me?

I moved, and the vampire helped me sit up next to him on the couch. He kept one arm wrapped around me to steady me.

"Here, I brought you this." He picked up a bottle of wine, and passed it to me.

"I also had a glass, but the damn tiger broke it while I was subduing him."

The wine bottle was open, and I put it to my lips and started gulping it down. I was trying to drench out the taste of the vampire's blood in my throat, and to inebriate my mind to the fact I was helpless to do anything at this point to help Eric.

The vampire laughed again, "You aren't high maintenance for a queen, are you, Sookie?"

I took another big swig of the bottle, and studied the vampire sitting next to me. He still had an arm around me and a sudden realization hit me.

I tilted the bottle back again, and finished the last few guzzles of wine. Then I took a breath, clutching the bottle in my hand.

"And you like to stand people up for your own damn birthday parties," I said smugly.

He smiled at me and winked, "My dear, if I was to attend every party thrown for me, I'd never have time for amusing things like this."

"Well, Dracula, you are quite the charmer, aren't you," I arched my eyebrow.

"Please, call me Vlad. I don't like to stand on ceremony if it is not required, especially with a beautiful woman such as yourself. And I knew you to be a telepath, but your abilities now seem to include reading the undead as well. Bravo for you. Although I suspect my friend Bones had something to do with that?"

He tilted his head slightly and gave me a crooked grin. As I started to answer, Bones himself appeared in the doorway.

"Right, then. Good to see things have been handled with the bloody tiger. And, mate, as always taking advantage of a situation with a young lady." Bones nodded to Vlad as he heaved Quinn over his shoulders.

"Is Eric ok, Bones?" I asked in a nervous voice. I had felt something, and I wasn't sure what it meant.

"Well, of course, luv. What did you think?"

Bones then turned to Vlad, "And I must say, you old sod, your date was quite bloody impressive herself. Cat's mum surprised her tonight. But I think it was the comment about ghouls that had Justina so brassed off. She single-handedly staked two or three of them sodding bastards herself. I told Cat her mum should be a part of our team. Of course, Cat wanted to stake me herself when I said that." Bones chuckled, and began walking out the door with Quinn.

_Cat's mother is here? _ I tried to stand, but the room started spinning. Vlad scooped me up in his arms. "You drank that bottle of wine pretty quickly, my dear. And you've had my blood. You might not be so steady on your feet."

"You're just looking for an excuse to put your hands on me again, like Bones said," I slurred slightly.

Vlad sniggered, "I've never turned down an opportunity with a pretty lady, why should I start now?" And with that, he carried me in his arms, and we were heading down the hall to the elevator.

My head was whirling along with everything else, but I could feel Eric's reaction to Bones entering Fangtasia with Quinn over his shoulders.

Boiling, murderous _rage_.

And as Vlad entered the room, a few seconds later, with me slumped in his arms, I read my husband distinctly.

_Who is that fucking vampire with his hands all over my wife? He's a fucking dead man! _

**Eric POV**

It took less than five minutes for the attack to take place. Between the knife in my back and the intensity of the skirmish, my body and mind were in full attack mode. My body vibrated with the thrill of the fight, the satisfaction, the blood lust. I examined the cell phone knife used on me, turning it over in my hand, and in that split second I snapped back to reality. _Sookie._ I scanned the room again -- no sign of my wife or my child. I called Pam to me. She must have taken Sookie to a safe place once the fighting started as I no longer felt any distress through the bond. I closed the cell phone knife and slid it into my pocket.

Within moments, I could see Pam heading toward me from the front entrance of the club. She was alone. As Pam hurried across the room, my fingers tightened around the sword in my hand. Where…was…Sookie?

"Eric, NO. NO."

Cat ran over to me and started tugging on my arm. Her voice sounded distant and it barely registered. My only thought was if Pam had lost Sookie, my child would soon be dead.

Pam threw herself at my feet. She didn't need to be a telepath to know what I was thinking.

"Master," Pam was trembling as she exposed her neck to me. I stared down at Pam, my fingers twitching around the sword in my hand.

Cat tugged on the sleeve of my jacket again, "Eric, _seriously_? Sookie is fine. Please stop this nonsense."

"Where is she? Tell me now." I demanded.

"Bones is with her. They're coming now."

Her assurances did little to quell the rage that was boiling inside me. What the hell was going on here? Just as I was contemplating putting my hands around Cat's throat to choke it out of her, I felt Sookie nearby, and what was that familiar stench? Pam was still kneeling before me, and I dismissed her.

"Rise, Pam. We will discuss this later." Pam stood and moved a few steps back, keeping her head bent low.

When I turned toward the doorway, Bones was coming toward me, with someone slung over his shoulder. Now I knew that smell. The fucking tiger. What the HELL was that fucking tiger doing here IN MY CLUB? Where the fuck was Sookie?

I clamped down on my rage, just as my hand squeezed the handle of my sword. I ached to lift that sword over my head and bring it down on the tiger once and for all. There would be no more mercy for this flea bag. My dick got hard thinking about the tiger's blood spilling out, covering me as I finally took his life.

But my blood lust was soon interrupted. Sookie was coming toward me, carried by a dark haired vampire. Who is that fucking vampire with his hands all over my wife? He's a fucking dead man! I didn't recall ever seeing him before. He had long brown hair and a tight beard and I could feel a powerful presence coming from him even at a distance. I had no idea why my wife would be with this vampire, but I was going to find out.

I barely registered Bones dumping the tiger at my feet, since I couldn't rip my eyes away from my wife. As soon as her eyes met mine, a sense of relief passed across her face and I felt it through the bond. She flung herself out of the vampire's arms and ran toward me. She seemed a little unsteady ... was she drunk?

I pulled her into my arms and held her close, closing my eyes and taking in her smell. I could tell in an instant that she had been hurt, had been drinking and the vampire had given her blood. I waited for the anger I felt to pass. I wrapped my arms around her with the realization that both of us had a very close call this evening.

When Sookie wrapped her arms around me, her hands touched my tuxedo jacket, still wet with my blood.

"Eric! You're bleeding! Your back — I felt something before…" She looked at her hand that was now covered in my blood and then looked back up at me. I could see the start of tears in her eyes.

"I am fine, lover. It is over now." I faced her, my arms on her shoulders, stroking them to comfort her. I moved my hand to the back of her head and gently pulled her to me. She started to shake in my arms.

"Oh, my god, Eric. Quinn was going to take me. Bobby Burnham is in on it. Are you sure you're all right?" Her words came out in a rush.

Sookie looked around and took in the condition of the club. Besides the piles of finally dead vampires, all the guests were gone, having been removed by security during the attack. Tables and chairs were overturned. The club was a mess.

"Lover, it is over. I am fine. Just a flesh wound. It is healed already." I kept my arms around her and gave her a quick kiss on the top of her head.

At my feet, the tiger moaned. The dark haired vampire moved quickly to kick him in the head to silence him, then went and stood by Cat and Bones along with another female vampire. It was time to find out just what the fuck was going on here. I turned to look at Cat, Bones and their mysterious guests.

"What went on here? How is the tiger involved?"

Bones stepped forward. "I saw that wanker you call a secretary go over to Sookie when her dance with the shifter ended, and then Sookie went running out of the club. I figured something was up. When I saw this old sod," he elbowed the vampire who had carried Sookie out, "following her, I knew she would be okay. Then all hell broke loose down here." Bones jerked his head at the dark haired vampire.

"Sookie, why didn't you take Pam with you when you went to my office?" I wanted to know why my instructions were not followed. Sookie did not look at me when she spoke.

"Eric, when Bobby came over with the message, I saw Pam leaving the club, and I was worried since Bobby said something was up with Jason, so I just went. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have gone alone. I was worried and feeling guilty about Jason and I wasn't thinking." She shuddered and then looked up at me, her apology all over her face.

"Sookie, how were you hurt? What happened?"

She took a deep breath. "When I got to your office, Quinn was there. He told me he was protecting me but he attacked me." At those words, the image of the tiger's blood spilling returned to my brain. I had to hold back a smile at the thought. Sookie gave me a look and then continued.

"Then I bit him to get away, and I blacked out. When I woke up, Quinn was tied up. Bones showed up a few minutes later."

I could feel that she was leaving out some details about what happened in my office. Like who was the vampire, why she took his blood, and why she was tipsy. What I wanted most was to get in his face and demand to know why he gave my wife blood, but instead I composed myself as I considered my next question carefully.

Bones and Cat had saved my life and Sookie's tonight, and I was grateful for their help. I had no reason to insult them or their friends. Sookie moved closer and placed her hand gently on my arm as she knew I was struggling to tone down my delivery. I turned to Cat, Bones, and the mysterious vampire couple that were standing nearby. I looked at the dark haired vampire.

"I thank you for assisting my wife. But I must ask, who are you and how did you come to my club tonight?"

Cat, Bones and Sookie just looked at each other. The silence in the room was deafening. What was going on here? Finally, Cat spoke.

"Eric, the woman over there is my mother, Justina. And this is a friend of mine. I'd like to introduce, Vlad Tepesh."

At first I thought I must have misheard his name. I raked my eyes over him and he smiled at me, and I realized that I had not heard the name wrong. After everything tonight, I never thought it would end like this. As realization dawned on me, the dark haired vampire, The Prince of Darkness, looked at me and Sookie, and dipped his head while his right arm moved away with a flourish and said, "It was a pleasure to attend your party and save your lovely wife, Viking. I must say she is quite charming. I haven't had this much fun since the last time I was with Cat."

"Bloody show hound." Bones snorted, none too softly.

Vlad chuckled at Bones. He then swept his arm around the mess in the club, "And Viking, thanks for throwing me the lovely birthday party, and perhaps you could remove this mess so we might continue the party with these lovely ladies. Try to salvage the night, if you will."

My blood lust had turned to rage at the sight of Quinn, to relief when I realized Sookie was unharmed, and now, to surprise and pride. I was still processing the fact that Dracula had finally shown up to my party when I realized what he was asking. Before we could resume the party, I had a few loose ends to clean up. I looked down at the smelly tiger at my feet.

Cat spoke up. "Eric, I can probably guess what you are going to do to the tiger, but could I offer another suggestion?"

I looked at Cat. Of course I was going to enjoy giving the tiger his due, but I was curious about what she might be thinking. Considering the other "suggestions" that Cat and Bones had for tonight, it might be something to consider.

"What do you have in mind, Cat?"

"Homeland Security has a facility that might just be the place for Quinn. Actually, I hear there is an opening where my father is imprisoned. I'm sure the government would welcome the opportunity to learn more about were animals and Quinn would be a perfect subject. I'd be happy to call my uncle and make the arrangements."

Whether it was the thought of her father's imprisonment or what fate Homeland Security might have for the tiger, the smile on her face as she offered this to me was priceless. Sanctioned experiments on the tiger? That might be worth considering.

"I will consider the suggestion, Cat. Thank you. For now, I have a place I can hold him."

I looked over to my security guards and motioned them forward. "Take the tiger to a cell and await instructions." With that, the security guards picked up the tiger from the floor and dragged him from the club. I was very careful not to think much more about what I wanted to do with him.

Next, I turned to Pam, who was still standing behind me with her head down. She knew that I was angry with her for not staying with Sookie. My ignoring her as we unraveled what happened tonight was punishment enough. I had no desire to see my child suffer, especially in front of our special guest. Since Pam never believed that Dracula would come to my party, I would have years to rub it into her. I could hardly wait to tease her about it.

"Pam, please go and see if you can get some music for us and someone to clean up this mess. And refreshments for my guests are required. Will you tend to that and then come join the party?"

Pam looked up at me and if I didn't know better, I might have seen some sign of pink in her eyes. Yes, we would speak more about what happened tonight, but not now.

"Yes, Master. I'll take care of it." She smiled as she turned on her heel to go make the necessary arrangements.

Sookie's arms were still around me and she gave me a squeeze as she listened to my exchange with Pam. I could tell she was pleased with how I handled that. She would never want me to humiliate Pam in front of these guests, nor would I.

Cat, Bones, Vlad, and Justina were still standing quietly watching me put the situation to rights. I was filled with pride to know that I commanded such respect among them. I put my arm around Sookie and motioned for my guests to join me around the tables that were not destroyed. As we moved across the club, everyone chattered about the events of the evening. Our blow-out event had turned into an intimate party of seven. As I listened to Sookie tell Bones, Cat, Vlad, Justina, and Pam about biting Quinn, I couldn't take my eyes off her. Sookie, my lover, my wife. She looked up at me as I thought those words and smiled back. Maybe her reading my mind wasn't such a bad thing.

Tonight, in spite of all that happened, it was good to be King.

**Sookie POV**

When Vlad carried me downstairs in his arms, I thought Eric was going to stake him. Then, he smelled Vlad's blood on me, and I thought Eric might kill _me_. But, once I heard his relief, and I realized he was okay as well, all was right with the world again.

As I stood next to Eric with his arm around me, still feeling a little tipsy, I smiled thankfully at our remaining guests: Bones, Vlad, Cat, and the vampire Cat introduced as her mother, Justina. Eric calmly disposed of Quinn, much to my satisfaction. And he let his anger at Pam pass as well.

But the highlight of the evening was when Eric was introduced to Dracula, the elusive vampire now known as Vlad, whom Eric had idolized all these centuries.

Eric made sure the remaining Fangtasia wait-staff served refreshments to everyone. After a table and chairs were set up, our four guests, Pam, Eric, and I settled around it to have a little after-party celebration. I told everyone about the high pitched howl Quinn made when I bit him.

"Seriously, he sounded more like my old cat getting a bath, than Mr. Powerful Were-Tiger himself," I said.

Everyone laughed and Eric gave me the sweetest smile. His love and pride was evident to me on so many levels; I got a little misty eyed, and squeezed his hand.

I looked around and realized Bones and Vlad were both staring at me, probably because they were listening to every thought in my head.

_This is weird. I am not used to this. I like you both, but I don't like the tables being turned on me like this_, I sent.

_You can learn to block it, Sookie_, Bones responded. _You can't hear everything I'm thinking, can you? And you certainly can't hear everything this wanker over here is thinking. _

_For me, my ability is temporary, remember, Bones? And no offense, but I don't intend on hanging around with you two guys much past tonight. _

Vlad guffawed, "I have been enjoying the movie posters you've put up for the party, very entertaining. The portrayal of me over the years has spanned the truly hideous to the enjoyably camp."

"Well Vlad, you could set the record straight for us. What actor comes closest to portraying the real Dracula?" Eric asked.

"I've always enjoyed George Hamilton's portrayal in _Love at First Bite_. You can't beat that tan, and he was almost as charming as I," Vlad grinned.

"George does resemble you, Vlad." Justina said sweetly.

Bones snorted, while Cat rolled her eyes.

"Thank you, my dear, Justina." Vlad continued, "But, I would have to say my favorite Dracula is Udo Kier in _Blood for Dracula_, 'Zee blood of the zeez whores is _keeling_ me!'"

The way Vlad said the line had everyone chuckling, especially Eric, who roared with laughter. Udo was Eric's favorite Dracula, as well as one of his favorite actors.

"So, what of your real reputation, Dracula?" Eric said with a sly grin.

"Eric Northman," Vlad replied, "I have enjoyed the company of many lovely ladies over the centuries. But, you have the prettiest telepathic queen a king could ask for. And she can guzzle wine like a sailor."

Pam snickered, as everyone else laughed. I put a hand over my forehead, embarrassed. Eric smiled at me and patted my other hand.

Although we were enjoying our conversations, Fangtasia was still a mess, and it was taking awhile for the wait-staff to bring more than bottled refreshments to the table. I could hear an increasing swell of thoughts coming from Justina.

"What does a lady have to do to get a _damn_ drink around here?" she spat, none-too-quietly, to Cat.

"_Mother_! Don't be so rude!"

"Rude?! I just staked three _assholes_ trying to kill this guy, and all I've been offered is lousy True Bloods."

"You went on a freaking rampage because you heard one of them insulting a ghoul."

"That wasn't any ghoul, Catherine, that was the Queen of New —"

"I don't give a damn, _Mother_! You were acting out because it made you think of Rodney, which I can understand. But you need to get better control of your impulses and realize the power you have now, because you're a new vampire and you could have hurt someone else."

Wow. My head was really spinning now. And I thought _my_ family was dysfunctional.

Vlad spoke soothingly, "Justina, my dear, I apologize. Shall I fetch a human donor for you?"

"Yes, thank you, Vlad," Justina purred.

I could hear Cat's brain doing cartwheels, "_Mother_! Since when do you drink from humans? I thought you had refused since Gregor—"

"Vlad's been such a help to me, Catherine. I don't turn down human meals when they are willing."

Bones spoke to Vlad, "Mate, what I'd like to know is why you and Justina are even here at Eric Northman's party?"

Vlad chuckled, "I was invited, Bones, by your wife. But it's my understanding that I've always had an open invitation to this wonderful soiree thrown in my honor every year. Isn't that right, Northman?"

Eric bowed his head in agreement, a wry smile on his face.

"But, Vlad, why did you drag my mother here, and where the hell has she been?" It wasn't hard to see that Cat was _slightly_ irritated.

"Your mother has been staying with me in my home in Eastern Europe, hasn't she told you that? And I thought this party would be a nice diversion for her," Vlad said as he smiled at Justina.

Cat was practically seething. "Mother, why didn't you tell me where you were? I've been wondering all this time! You've only sent me cryptic text messages."

"Catherine, I didn't want you to be jealous."

"Jealous?! Why would I be jealous, _Mother_?"

Vlad chuckled as Bones glared at him.

"As you know, Catherine, Vlad is a gentleman, unlike some _other_ men," Justina gave a dismissive eye to Bones, who just grinned and shook his head.

Justina continued, "Vlad's mansion is beautiful, in the mountains, and the servants wait on me hand and foot. Vlad snaps his fingers and I have everything I need or want. I feel like I've been staying at the most exclusive resort." Justina smiled at Vlad, and he, in turn, winked at Cat.

Bones grunted.

"Ah, Justina, my dear, it's been a pleasure. I haven't enjoyed being in the company of a lovely woman such as yourself, since I had the honor of having your daughter in my home several months ago." Vlad was clearly enjoying this.

Bones' reply dripped with sarcasm, "Right, mate. Smashing success you have with the whole lot of ladies. Women who are mourning the loss of someone else in their lives when you swoop in with your bloody, cavalier ways."

Cat looked at Bones with a troubled expression. "Bones, you know Vlad was just being a good friend to me then."

Bones snorted.

My head was whirling. I looked up at Eric. He was thinking the same thing.

Eric stood up, "Everyone, human donor meals will be served shortly. Pam, please check on the status with our wait-staff. Sookie and I need to check on… other things. We will be back in a while."

Eric and I began to walk as calmly out of the room as we could manage. He walked more slowly, while I had to run a little to keep up him and his long legs. Once we got into the stairwell, Eric picked me up in his arms and flew us to the third floor. We were down the hall and at his office door in a matter of seconds.

Eric flung the door open, lunged into the room, and slammed the door shut with his foot. He set me down next to him and gave me a hungry stare.

The combination of being knocked unconscious by Quinn, ingesting Vlad's blood, and drinking an entire bottle of wine, made me feel even more light-headed than I usually did when I got that look from my husband. I was also overcome with all the events of the night, so many different voices in my head, wrapped up in a whole boat-load of emotions, mine and Eric's.

I had been so scared he was going to be killed. He had been worried sick about me. Waves of anger were still rolling off of him, along with all his lustful thoughts as he stared down at me.

I loved how I could read him so clearly now. I could tell a lot from our bond, although he usually blocked his emotions so well, only the strong ones came across to me. But my telepathic abilities the last two nights wielded a treasure trove of insight into my husband, especially in the moments when he wasn't blocking me, like now. _Oh, my_.

I reached up, putting my hands on either side of his face, and pulled him down towards me. I started kissing and biting his lips. He pulled my body close to his, and kissed me deeply.

After a moment, he pulled away. He raised a thumb and stroked my cheek, "Go lay on the sofa, my lover."

I grinned at him. I knew what he wanted. I walked over to the sofa and proceeded to lay on it, face down, my crimson gown splayed up and across my bare thighs.

He began undressing, taking off his shoes, then his tux, as he looked down at me lying on the sofa. And he was thinking of all the things he wanted to do to me.

I bit my lip, and looked back at him. He was naked now, standing by the side of the sofa, just watching me.

God, I loved his body. He had broad, strong shoulders, tight abs, and long limbs. And as my eyes trailed down his body, I didn't need the visual proof of his arousal, but there it was. I could feel it through the bond, and hear it in his head, but I did love seeing it for myself.

He smiled. "Lay back down, Sookie."

I reluctantly turned my face away from him, placing it back down on the cool leather. My elbows were bent, and my hands were clutching the sofa cushions. I began moving my body and grabbing more of the cushions as if he were already touching me.

"Oh, lover, look at you. You are so fucking beautiful...writhing in pleasure already. I know you can hear all the thoughts I have running through my mind as to the many ways I am going to take you tonight."

I put my hands behind my back, and started to unzip my dress. "No, let it be. I want to fuck you in that dress with your red high heel shoes in the air, just like that." I placed my hands back down on the sofa.

The next thing I felt were his fingers running down my legs as he slipped off my thong. Then, I heard a rustling of fabric and felt cool air. He was staring at my bare backside.

"Eric, please." I was aching for him.

"I can smell your arousal, my lover. We still have several hours left tonight, and I'm going to make every moment count."

He began running his hands slowly up my legs. When he got to my bottom, he caressed and kneaded it with his long fingers. Then, I felt his lips kissing me down my cheeks. When he got to my pink flesh, he parted it with his fingers, and began lapping the juices.

"Sookie, you are so fucking wet," he hummed as he went deeper with his tongue.

I was moving pretty steadily now, and moaning into the sofa cushions. He moved his head lower, and began licking and teasing my clit, then sucking on it. I groaned louder.

He slowly pulled his head away, and I whimpered a little. Then he rose, leaning his body over mine. He began kissing the back of my neck, nipping, and sucking it.

He pushed my dress up further. As I spread my legs wider for him, I could feel his tip near my entrance. I writhed under him trying to get him to enter me. He did slowly, a little at a time. Then, after a few short thrusts, he buried himself deeply inside of me. I let out a gasp. I tilted my butt in the air, and spread my legs more, so he could go even deeper. I tried to match each buck of his hips with my own. As he made each slow, deep thrust, I felt a burn increase inside me. It ran from my center, down my legs, up my arms, to my finger tips. We both moaned loudly, and I realized he could feel the heat as well.

He put one hand under me, and stroked my clit, as he deeply, and slowly penetrated me.

"Oh, God, Eric." I was breathing fast, and clutching at the sofa.

He continued to kiss and suck on the nape of my neck. Then, he turned his mouth to the side of my neck, near my vein. I could feel his fangs, as he nipped and licked. Then, he bit.

I screamed. My body was rocked by strong, hot waves, as I clenched him deep inside me. Fiery surges ran out from my center to my extremities.

"Oh, Sookie, _fuck_!" he yelled as he followed, grabbing me hard, and bucking several times within me. After a moment, his body relaxed, and he collapsed on top of me.

We both lay there, feeling the after-shocks. I had experienced some _pretty_ intense orgasms with Eric, but that _one_ took the cake.

The side of my face was lying on the sofa. He leaned his head over, licked the bite on my neck, then kissed me on the lips. As he moved his hands to clasp them over mine, he pulled back, and gave me a puzzled look.

"Sookie, my love, what have you done?"

"Whaa-t?" I mumbled, unable to form a coherent sentence.

"Sookie, look at the sofa."

I pulled my head back, and looked down. There were deep, black scratch marks all around me on the sofa. Some were still smoking. And I could smell singed leather.

"Eric, what is _that_?" As I spoke, I realized how hot my fingers felt.

Eric pulled us up to a sitting position, holding me on his lap. He grabbed my hands, and we both looked at my finger tips. They were unharmed, but they were covered in soot from the burnt leather.

He gazed down at me. I felt his realization and anger. Then, I heard his thoughts clearly.

_This is what I get for idolizing a womanizing pyro-prick!_

**

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